Chasing Pavements
by OrganizedMess
Summary: What if the cure of an imprint is jealousy? leah/embry, leah/jacob
1. Chasing Pavements

Title: Chasing Pavements  
Author: Nicki  
Rating: PG  
Genre: Romance/Drama  
Character Pairings: Leah/Jacob and Leah/Embry  
Summary: What if the cure of an imprint is jealousy?  
Author Note: If you like the character of Nessie, you don't want to read this story. No offense! I wrote this simply because my frustration with Stephenie Meyer and the lack of an ending for Leah or any of the other werewolves. It's just something I came up with.

_SPOILERISH IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BREAKING DAWN!_

**"Chasing Pavements" ADELE**

'I build myself up  
and fly around in circles  
waiting as my heart drops  
and my back begins to tingle  
finally could this be it

or should I give up  
or should I just keep chasing pavements  
even if it leads no where,  
or would it be a waste  
even if I knew my place should I leave it there.  
Should I give up  
or should I just keep chasing pavements  
even if it leads nowhere'

--

It was raining. Again.

Leah didn't care. For one, growing up in La Push meant the constant damp feeling from the several inches of rain that fell each year. It was unavoidable. She just grew accustomed to the constant grey, dark clouds that hovered ominously above the earth. Some cursed this type of weather and wished of drier, sunnier climates. Leah just sort of built a tolerance for it. After a while, the soft drumming noise on the roof became melodic, like a lullaby from nature. Sometimes the rain would be refreshing, like washing away all the filth and starting new, fresh.

Right now, at this moment, she welcomed the numb feeling that accompanied the wet Washington drizzle

Rejection should be a welcomed companion by now. She should accept that hallow feeling that came with it, like your heart is thumping in an empty barrel. Instead, the feeling hit her like a train which was a shock, knowing who was rejecting her. She didn't see this one coming.

A baby? Jacob imprinted on a child? A half a vampire from that parasite Cullen clan, none-the-less. An angry shiver shot down her spine but she ignored the temptation of phasing. Sometimes, the horrible pain you experience when you were human is the only sign that you're alive. Leah needed that right now, the pain of knowing she was alive and hurt.

Leah sat in the middle of a forest, somewhere far north. Her soft brown hair hung in clumps against her drenched black sweatshirt. She leaned against a tree, its protective branches unable to shield her from the downpour. Her clothes and jeans stuck to her, a look some would compare to a drowned rat.

She let the rain soak her, letting it freeze her down to her bones. The tears that reluctantly fell from her eyes mixed with the drizzle and shadowed the fact that she was crying. Over a boy. Again.

She heard sticks snap in the distance but didn't move. If it was a bear, she would welcome the attack. Nobody would accuse her of being suicidal if a bear attacked her and accidentally killed her. It's nature, its instinct.

Screw instinct.

"Leah?" a voice came from the thick, evergreen trees.

'Damn,' she thought. All she had wanted was silence from her pack's thoughts, half of whom have already found their destined ones. She couldn't even find that type of relief in the middle of the forest.

"Leah?" the voice came again.

She turned my head and saw Embry stumble through the woods. Leah rolled her eyes as he tripped over a dead branch and almost did a face plant into a near by tree.

"What do you want, Embry?" Leah hissed back, cursing him for breaking her moment of serenity.

"We've been worried, we haven't heard from you in a while," he said breathlessly. He finally stood a foot away from her, looking down at Leah on the earthy ground. "Sam sent me to look for you."

Ugh. Even his name tore a new hole in her heart. It never got easier for her after he imprinted on Emily. Actually, things got steadily worse when she found out he was going to become family. Seeing him, that pain could never be numbed. Leah welcomed it though, a steady reminder of who she was, who she became again with Jacob. She wouldn't say that Jacob was as great a love as Sam. He was her first … everything. You could never replace someone like that. Jacob came close, the so many firsts he could've been, would've been …

"Em," she started with a rough sigh, bowing my head, allowing for her wet hair to cascade into my face. "I just need some time to myself, okay? It doesn't help me when I have a pack of boys in my head 24/7. I need girl time."

Leah was surprised by how calm she was being, so unlike herself. The old Leah would've attacked first, talk later. However, at the moment, she felt drained of all energy and emotion.

"You should be happy for him," Embry retorted, finally sitting next to her on the rotting mound of earth. Leah could feel his warmth radiate through the chilly mist. It felt nice. "This is all he's ever wanted. Since Bella went off with that blood sucker. He needed someone to take her place, this is the way it was meant to be." His voice was calm as they faced the empty forest in front of them.

"I know," she said so quietly, she was hoping the rain would drown out the sadness in my voice. "I just … I just feel, I don't know, left behind." It was difficult for her to verbalize the emptiness she was feeling. Leah let her last sentence hang in the air and was happy that Embry didn't break it. "I'm just tired of feeling alone in the world, like I'm the only one," she said, not caring how pathetic she sounded. It was how she felt knowing the guy she almost loved as much as Sam had imprinted on someone else, again, on an enemy.

They sat together in silence for a few moments. Listening to the rain hit a thousand surfaces at once, it was peaceful. Leah closed her eyes and visualized the symphony Mother Nature was conducting. Each surface sounded different, had a different texture to the noise. After becoming a werewolf, she learned how to appreciate the finer details of her surroundings. She could recognize the various shades of green, the strong smell of the earth, the feel of running so fast that the forest around you became a blur. And now, the rain was her newest fixation.

"But you're not alone." Embry suddenly broke the silence, inclining his head towards her. She tried to remain in the same sitting position, not wanting him to see the redness that rimmed her eyes. But curiosity got the best of her and she chanced a quick glance at him. Leah wanted to find the amusement in his face which would give her another reason to hate men even more.

However, she didn't find an unsaid joke or ridicule. She didn't see the mocking face of a man but a hopeful face of a brother, a friend. His chocolate brown eyes were soothing, sending warm shivers from the top of my head to my toes despite the rain that continued to pour on them. His lips were puckered, not with holding back laughter but with concern.

She was so taken back by this change of face in front of her that she didn't feel Embry shift closer to her. She didn't feel his arm move or his hand grasp hers, the two heats connecting without a sizzle. It wasn't uncomfortable, their hands, it was nice actually. She glanced down, comparing his dark tanned skin to hers. They didn't contrast or mesh … they looked like they could coincide peacefully, almost like they could belong together.

"Leah," he breathed and she suddenly noticed how deep and husky his voice was. Everything about this boy, this pack member, this man in front of her was changing so fast. "You're not alone."

She never noticed how beautiful Embry was until now. How his earthy brown hair melted with his bronze colored skin. The lean, muscular build of his toned arms. How his shirt clung to every curve and muscle as the rain continued to soak through. The way he looked at her, like he was watching a sunrise. His breath felt warm against my mouth, a small scent of pine lingered in the air. They way he looked at Leah before crushing his lips upon hers.

She didn't fight it, she didn't resist. How could she?

The most beautiful thing about Embry was that he was an outsider of outsiders, like her. He understood how it felt to be left behind, not good enough to be loved, to be wanted.

But this was wrong. He was not her destined one, not the one she would ever imprint on. It took all her strength to push him back. She left her hands on his chest, she didn't know if she was keeping him at bay or holding onto him. His heart beat rapidly underneath her fingertips.

"No," she said, looking anywhere else but his face. She didn't want to see the rejection, knowing if she saw any weakness in his eyes, her protest will falter and die. "Embry, you know better than me that this won't go anywhere." She said, praying the rain would hide the fresh new wave of tears that fell. "We're not made for each other." It was a hard truth but it had to be said.

"I know," he simply stated, Leah could hear the slight hurt in his words. "But that doesn't mean we can't be together. Be there for each other."

"I don't want another friend," she spit back, it was an automatic reaction. Legend controlled their destinies so tightly that you couldn't hide from the truth, you couldn't live under a lie for too long.

"Who knows if we'll imprint, ever," Embry continued, ignoring her remark. "I know Jacob said the same thing to you but this is different. I've searched for her, whoever she is. I'm convinced she doesn't exist for me. I've looked all over this land and she's nowhere insight. I've given up."

"Don't say that to yourself, Embry. You can't lie-"

"No!" He cut her off and she was silent. "I want to be there for you, Leah. I've seen how Sam treats you and I've seen how Jacob left you. I want to be the one who picks up the pieces, I want to take care of you now. You may imprint one day, any day, but until then I want to be that person for you. I want to be your best friend, brother …" He dropped his head.

He fell silent again, his chest rapidly falling up and down. She laughed inwardly, 'don't throw yourself a fit.' The rain was beginning to let up and the clouds above were beginning to thin. All she could hear were their heavy breathing.

"I just want to make you happy."

She smiled, taken back by the gesture Embry was making. She had never guessed, never knew that these feelings were building themselves inside of him. Maybe she was too preoccupied with Sam, Jacob and Seth to really care about the other members of her back. She reached up and traced her finger tips along his hard jaw line. He lifted his head back up and looked at her with that goofy hopeful expression again. She had to smile.

"Okay," she returned, letting her hands falling into his. "I can't believe I'm doing this but … okay," she said and looked him in the face. His hair was drenched and stuck to his skin. His face was calm for a moment, eyes searing holes into hers before letting out a happy bark and leaning his head in towards her but she stopped him with her hand. "However, if you break my heart as badly as the other two … if you imprint on any of my cousins or on a mini bloodsucker, so help me God, I will rip your face off."

Despite the threat, Embry laughed. "Okay, deal … I won't fight." He said before he pushed her hand away and brought her face to his.

Leah knew it was a mistake but she was letting go of instinct, letting go of common sense that would've normally told her this was a horribly bad idea and she was setting herself up for heart ache again. But there was that pull in her heart, something that told her to let herself be happy. It wasn't love, not yet anyway, but it was an infatuation that was enough for her. She wanted to be fixed and if Embry was willing to be that person for her, so be it.

Thousands of miles away, Jacob played with Nessie in a field full of deer. Around them, evergreen trees were full and still dripping from the most recent storm. A cold, artic breeze blew through the field and shifting the leaves as a thousands branches groaned and creaked.

The young half mortal screamed as she chased the young fawns around. Jacob laughed, his mind nowhere but with Nessie and the amusement that came with her.

Suddenly, without warning, Jacob's heart gave a painful lurch and he stopped laughing. Bewildered, he felt his chest to make sure everything was still in place. He glanced at Nessie who was too busy chasing herd into the forest to notice. Jacob looked around nervously; he could've sworn it felt like a wire breaking.


	2. Secret Heart

"Secret Heart  
Why so mysterious  
Why so sacred  
Why so serious  
Maybe you're  
Just acting tough  
Maybe you're just not bad enough  
What's wrong  
Let her in on your secret heart" – _'Secret Heart' Feist_

Leah and Embry spent the night there. They slept in their wolf forms, the ones most suitable to withstand cold, winter nights and found a niche in a large evergreen tree. They didn't begin their separate journeys home until that next morning.

Leah was running back home when she received a short and abrupt message from Jake telling her to meet at the Cullen's house. Before she could dig a little deeper and listen to his thoughts, he was gone, morphed back into his human form. Leah gave a heavy sigh; this meant he would have to learn about her relationship with Embry when they were in closer proximity.

She began heading south towards the Cullen's residence. The cold, damp wind in her fur only fed the adrenaline that pumped through her veins as she felt her paws hit the earth in their own, odd rhythm.

That was the one good thing about becoming a werewolf; you had a sense of freedom that was like nothing else. It was a wild sort of freedom that allowed Leah to let go of intuition or thoughts or feelings. She could let herself go and become more animalistic, grow closer to nature. Leah rarely appreciated nature before - her dad had always tried to get her to go fishing or camping before he died - but now she could see the real beauty of an ancient forest after a rain storm. Raindrops continued to plummet from the high branches above, the several different shades of green surrounding her. The forest's resident, the little creatures, would poke their heads out of what sanctuary they found to ride out the storm, though quickly disappearing once Leah was near by. It was beautiful in human form but spectacular in wolf form with all the sights, smells and tastes that swirled together.

Yet, she was also a prisoner of many sorts. Having her mind and thoughts connected with Sam's, the way he thought and felt about Emily coursed through her veins much the same. It had destroyed her for some time before she could completely disconnect herself from him when she joined the second pack. She would never go back to that kind of torture.

A new voice entered Leah's conscience. "You and Embry, eh?"

"What's it to you, Seth?" Leah bit back, not wanting to be antagonized by her little brother about her love life when she was trying to find serenity.

"Oh, nothing," he mused. The sound of the humor in his words made Leah's blood boil. "Just a strange turn of events, I suppose. Good for you, he's a great guy."

"Shut your trap", she retorted.

"I wonder what Jake's reactions going to be …" he pondered, letting his sentence trail off.

"Seth, I swear to you, if you say another word, I will make you sorry for breathing." Leah warned. The returned silence was enough answer for her and she smiled to herself.

Ten minutes later, Leah arrived at the Cullen's house before Seth. She found Jacob sitting on the front porch. His head was in his hands and he didn't bother to acknowledge Leah's presence as she walked up. His hair was a tangled black mess, the length meeting his hard jaw line. His clothes were clean with barely a speck of dirt on them; it was evident that he hadn't been running lately. She approached him cautiously, on her guard, and slowly reached out to him. All she wanted to do was touch him, make it better, change the world so whatever was bothering him would cease to exist. She wanted to take care of him.

That was one thing people usually misinterpreted about Leah, her coldness meant she didn't care for anyone but herself. That was completely untrue. Ever since her dad died, Leah had trouble connecting with other people, especially men. Leah was best friends with her dad, nobody understood her better than him and he always knew how to make her feel better. He was there after Sam had left her, promising her that there were other fish in the sea. He said he knew, he had caught most of them in his rickety old fishing boat out on Crescent Lake. Then, one day, he was suddenly gone. She had never felt so alone, her mother was there but she didn't understand Leah on the level that her father did. She could never talk to Emily, their relationship in ruins.

Then Jake came along and she felt better. She felt hope that somebody else out there could possibly understand. Somebody who wouldn't be scared off by her cold demeanor and bitter personality. It felt like things were getting better until …

"Hey guys!" Seth greeted loudly, picking leaves and branches from his hair as he stumbled out of the woods. Leah's hand was mere inches from Jake's shoulders when he lifted his head, she instantly retracted her hand and put it in her pocket. Jake glanced at her briefly before settling his eyes on Seth. Leah's heart dropped a few inches, he couldn't even look at her longer than two seconds. How was this going to get better?

"Hey," he said, barely above a whisper. His voice was rough and gravely, like he hadn't slept in days. "C'mere, we need to talk," Jake motioned for Seth to come closer. He walked a few feet before plopping down on the ground in front of Jake, crossing his legs and bringing his knees to his chest. Leah remained where she stood and crossed her arms, not wanting to get comfortable. Jake heaved a heavy sigh and ran his fingers through his already messy hair. He looked exhausted, the bags under his eyes were a deep purple. The concern that sat in Leah's stomach turned once again, her need to do something, to make it better for him was tugging at her.

"Jake, what's wrong?" Leah asked, exchanging a worried glance with Seth.

"There's been an attack."

"WHAT!?"

"Are you kidding me? Who?"

"When? I thought we were done with this stupid war crap!"

"How? Who's hurt? Is everybody okay!?"

"Calm down, you guys," Jake said waving his hand at them. "It was Alice,' Jake rubbed his eyes, as if he were remembering a bad dream, 'Alice was hunting in the east by herself when something attacked her out of nowhere."

"Wait, Alice?' Leah questioned, a confused look on her face, 'Isn't she the fortune-telling blood sucker? Wouldn't she see if anybody was going to attack her?"

"Not this time,' Jake responded, resting his eyes in the forest in front of him, 'She doesn't think the attack was premeditated but it wasn't random either. She thinks somebody's using her power against her, finding the loop holes in her visions."

"Is she okay?" Seth asked, concern dripping from his voice. His face was becoming slightly paler and he was clutching them hem of his cut off jeans.

Jake gave a small smile before answering, "Yes, she's fine,' he reassured him and Seth gave an evident sigh of relief, 'but the attacker ripped off her arm. She came back in hysterics, whether she was devastated by the loss of her arm or pissed off at whoever attacked her, I'm not sure, but there was a lot of talk of going shopping for new outfits. She said something about how her wardrobe isn't right for a girl with one arm or whatever."

"Is Dr. Cullen going to be able to fix her?" Seth asked.

"He's working on it and he seems hopeful, but Alice is still insistent on another shopping trip in Seattle," Jake said with a roll of his eyes and muttering something about, "girls."

"What does this have to do with us?" Leah asked, not concerned with the wellbeing of the undead. Jake folded his hands and looked at her for the first time since her arrival. His eyes were so sad that Leah instantly felt her anger dissolve. It was hard to keep her angry façade when looking into his face.

"We're protecting the Cullens. All of us will take turns watching the house," Jake said, looking between Leah and Seth. Seth nodded solemnly, his eyes fixed on the ground, while Leah tried with all her might to keep her mouth shut and her arguments to herself. "Nobody is to go anywhere alone, at least not until we figure out what's going on. Understood?"

"Yes," Seth responded quickly before looking at Leah. Leah gave a heavy sigh.

"It's not my job to protect vampires,' she said in a matter-of-fact voice, 'I am to protect the humans of La Push and Forks."

"Leah," Jacob softly pleaded. She had to look away before she fell for his puppy dog eyes once again. "Leah, this is my family."

"I will protect the people of this area from any outside dangers but as for the … the Cullens,' she said with disgust rolling off her tongue, 'I hold no loyalties to them." She shook her head and looked deep into the forest, wishing Jake would understand her stance but, deep down, she knew she would have to cave eventually. At least she wouldn't cave without a fight.

"Leah, that's enough." Jake said standing up, he still towered over her and Leah cursed him for that. "You are apart of MY pack and you will do as I say. You're going to help me protect the Cullens and figure out where these outside threats are coming from. Protecting the Cullens also means protecting the people of Forks."

Anger boiled under her skin and Leah could feel herself beginning to shake, the temptation to morph back into a wolf ate at her. She took a steady breath and the shivers began to fade but the anger remained the same. "Fine," she spit back at him.

"Good," Jake said giving her one stern look before turning to face Seth. "Are you up to take the first shift so I can talk to your sister, kid?"

Seth's ears perked and he gave a wide grin. "When am I not ready?" he laughed before running off into the forest to morph back into his werewolf form. Jacob gave a small grin before returning to his serious composure and looked back at Leah.

"C'mon, lets go for a walk," he said, heading off in the opposite direction as Seth, towards the river.

Leah followed behind him, remaining quiet and feeling awkward. What if he knew about Embry already? What was he going to say? Not that anything Jacob had to say about who she could or could not date mattered, but as the leader of the pack and a friend, his opinion was still important to her. She watched the back of his head, wondering what could be going on in there.

He stopped just before they reached the wide river, the waves lapped at Jacob's naked feet as he took a seat on top of a dead log. The river before them raged, the recent rainstorm had given it the energy that brought a new type of exuberance to the forest it ran through. The heads of salmon could be seen poking out of the water's surface before disappearing once again and continuing their journey up stream. Leah looked around, making sure they were alone to talk, before taking a seat next to him.

"So, you and Embry," he said in a solemn voice, no pain or emotion was evident. She gave a sharp breath but kept her eyes locked on the river in front of her. She wasn't prepared for this. Hell, she couldn't even explain the situation to herself.

"How did you know?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Jake let out a low chuckle, amused by Leah's reaction and automatic defensiveness.

"I morphed around dawn, when you two were asleep and saw," he let his last sentence hang in the air. She could feel the silence weigh down on her chest and knew she had to say something.

"It's crazy, right?" she breathed, trying to sound casual and nonchalant. She snuck a glance at him and he was staring across the river.

"I'm happy for you," he said, finally dropping his head and peaking at her through his shaggy, dark locks. Leah felt her heart break a little before she returned her gaze back to the river, "I can't say I saw it coming but when you really look at it, you guys make sense." She closed her eyes. It was better than him disowning her for finding some type of peace in the world but it's not what she wanted. She wanted him to say no, that Embry wasn't the one for her and that he still wanted her. She wanted him to take her in his arms and make her forget everything, werewolves, vampires … her own name.

And then they hop into their convertible and run off into the sunset, right?

"This is difficult to say,' Jacob continued and her eyes snapped open, could it be? 'I'm going to Sam this afternoon and asking him for help to solve whatever problem is coming our way. You may have to work with Embry and I want to make sure that you can separate your personal life and your duty to the pack." He said this in a tone Leah had never heard before, so business like and succinct. Leah took a moment to digest what was said to her before coming up with the proper response.

"What?' Leah said in a shocked tone, 'You think I'd turn my back on the pack to cuddle with my boyfriend?" She stood up, her body shaking once again. It took all her strength not to phase at that very moment and rip Jake's head off.

"No, I'm just saying not to get too cozy," he turned, standing up as well and towering over Leah. This didn't scare her, instead she walked right up to him and stood a foot away from.

"Is that all you're going to say about me and Embry? Nothing else? Nothing else at all?" Like your jealous and want to tear him apart so you can be with me? Jacob stood there, confusion washing over his face and his mouth hung open. Leah let out a growl before turning her back to him and jetting off into the forest, muttering "men," before phasing into her wolf form.

Jacob stood there, motionless and still confused as to what had just happened. He wondered what he said that was wrong, he felt like he as taking the necessary precautions to ensure everything would go to plan. 'I don't need her and Embry alone together in the woods,' he thought to himself, 'holding each other close, their minds a million miles away from what they were suppose to be doing. Stealing kisses and holding each other …'

Once again, Jacob breathed in sharply and grabbed his chest. Another wire broke.

--

AN; Sorry about the wait, I've had a rough week. Thanks to Allison for editing this for me!


	3. Gravity

"Oh I'll never know what makes this man  
with all the love that his heart can stand  
Dream of ways to throw it all away

Oh Gravity is working against me  
and gravity wants to bring me down" – 'Gravity' John Mayer

--

Leah's words echoed in Jacob's mind. What had she meant? Why did she get so angry when he said he was happy for her? Wasn't that what she had wanted? Jacob knew of Leah's feelings for him, a fact that tore a new hole in him every time he thought bout it. But he thought that finding another, especially another werewolf, would be considered a good thing. Wouldn't his acceptance be a better gift than his rejection and anger toward the relationship?

Jacob sat back down on the log soon after Leah ran off into the woods, resting his head in his hands while he messaged his temples. Women were completely impossible, he concluded to himself. Nothing a man could do would ever make them happy or satisfied. He knew this fact very well after the years of playing tug-of-war over his heart with Bella.

If it wasn't for the imprint, if it wasn't for the fact that his ancestor's had chosen his imprint to be a half mortal, half vampire off spring, he would probably be with Leah. If he had a choice, he probably would've chosen Leah.

He loved Renesme, as a sister for the moment while she continued to blossom into a young woman. He knew the steps by heart, first he'll act as her big brother, then he'll act as a friend and confidant when she needs one and then, once she's full grown, he'll be all those and more rolled up into one person and more.

It's all anybody could ever want, Nessie would be the happiest person on the planet because Jake would be her other half, her other piece.

But, Jake always wondered, what about his needs? Yes, he wanted to make her happy, his entire world changed when she was born and he first looked into her large brown eyes. But he didn't like all the changes he was going through and the person he was becoming.

He thought longingly about his abused garage, he hadn't been in there for ages because the smell of motor oil bothered Nessie. His bike sat, rusting against his tool shed because Nessie was far too young to be riding a motorcycle (not to mention the thousands of pieces Bella would rip him into when she would find out that Jake took her for a ride). And the beach, Jake hadn't been to the La Push beach in ages because Nessie much preferred the forest and all the animals that inhabited it. She quickly learned that she had a strong distaste for creatures like salmon and dolphin. It was frustrating, the things that he had once loved, once lived for were no longer in his life.

He knew it was in the stars, in his destiny, to be her future. He was going to accept this fact and live with it because it was part of his future.

But the 'what ifs' continued to plague his mind, pounding against his skulls like a never dying head ache. She was half mortal, half vampire and an enemy to his kind, to his people. Jacob had never given legend and myths much weight but many things had changed when he had found out the legends of the werewolf were true. They didn't know much about imprinting, the only examples he had seen were his brothers imprinting on humans. He absently reached up and rubbing his chest, feeling his heart beat underneath his finger tips. Was it just him? Those wires that were holding him to Nessie were they beginning to break away.

He shook his head and stood up. This was stupid, why was he worrying so much? Leah would eventually come around. He was the leader, he had to point out the obvious in situations and if Leah couldn't handle the truth, than she would have to deal with it. He was the boss, the alpha, the man.

Leah and Embry. Embry and Leah. They deserved each other, the only two that didn't imprint. Good for them, good for her. She deserves happiness, with or without him. He had found his path and he was dead set on sticking to it. He turned into the woods and began running, eventually phasing into his wolf form and running towards Emily's cottage, where he knew Sam and maybe others in the pack would be. He had to finish business and find a way to protect the Cullens, his new family.

The wet air felt fool has it flowed through his fur, giving his tired body a new jolt of energy and the second wind he needed so badly. He pushed harder, feeling the strain of his muscled as they came back to life and into motion.

It was wonderful; he missed the feeling of adrenaline running through his body. His mind was clear, precise. The forest in front of him was almost illuminated, like he had never seen it before but he knew that it was his wolf senses helping him gage his surroundings.

Forgetting everything, he pushed forward on his short journey to the coast.

--

Soon, he was approaching the house. He phased back into his human form and sniffed eagerly, the smell of Emily's famous cookies was wafting through the air. He didn't realize until then how much he really missed Emily's cooking, the nights the pack spent inside the tiny cottage and sharing stories of their travels.

The cottage sat on top of the hill, the flower boxes were empty and full of dirt. No doubt when spring arrives, those boxes will be full of flowers blooming in brilliant, bright colors with their lovely scent to match. He couldn't wait to see Emily's garden in full bloom, she never ceased to amaze visitors with her choices of colors and design.

Jacob moved to the top of the steps and knocked on the dark blue door. Sam must've painted; the house was now a bright white with midnight blue shutters. Very 'Meet the Beavers' which screamed of Emily's taste, and spoke volumes of her desire for some type of normalcy.

Emily's smiling face peeked through the door seconds later. "Jake?" She squealed with happiness, swinging the door open and thrusting herself in Jacob's arm in the best bear hug she could manage.

"Hey Ems," he said, a wide grin on his face. She wasn't a werewolf but Emily exuded the type of warmness that would melt away your worries and problems. She stood back to get a better look at him, Jacob couldn't help allow his eyes linger on that horrific scar. It was out of habit, it was hard to believe such an ugly scar could attempt to ruin such a beautiful face. The same scar that reminded Sam everyday of his mistake, Jacob could never imagine that type of torture.

"Well, look at you," she whispered, looking him up and down, "What happened to little Jacob who would run around with Quil and Embry? Leader of his own pack, my my," She said and Jacob could feel a faint blush spread across his cheek.

"You know I had to grow up someday, didn't realize it would be as fast as it was," Jacob said with a shrug.

"Well not only physically, I mean," She said quickly, "How's that Nessie of yours doing?"

"Good," he returned, "She's staying put at home with her parents. Which brings me to why I'm here … is Sam around, maybe?"

"No, he's been out for a few hours. He and the boys just went out hunting for a bit but they should be back soon. Do you want to come in and wait?" She asked, taking a step back and Jacob smiled at her as he walked into the cozy little cottage. How the place could've hold any number of full grown werewolves was beyond him. Two large couches occupied the already tiny living room while the aged dinner table meant for two had 4 wooden chairs surrounding it.

Jacob took a spot on the couch while Emily sat in her favorite arm chair. She leaned back and looked at him for a moment, "Something's up with you, I can tell."

"How's that?" Jacob asked, crossing his arms and glancing out at the windows as rain spatters began to hit the glass.

"Jacob, I'm better with people than you realize," Emily returned with an air of smugness that Jacob couldn't help but laugh at. "You guys are like my sons, I know you better than you know yourselves."

"Well, you should charge for your services," He said with a sigh and looked back at her. She sat quietly and waited for him to continue. "It's … It's complicated, this imprint thing. I don't totally understand it."

"How so?" She continued, and waited quietly for his answer. Jake was positive that she would've made an awesome psychiatrist if she could ever leave La Push long enough to get a degree.

"I just … I hate the legend. I hate how I have no say in it. I feel like a puppet in someone else's game," he complained, looking down at the floor before looking up at her. She had a faint smile on her face and looked completely at ease.

"I understand," She nodded in return, holding her hands and resting her chin upon them. "I remember it was a shock when Sam told me about it and how I was involved with it. After a while, though, it made sense. I could never imagine myself loving anybody else but him for the rest of my life."

It felt like Jacob's heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach, he could imagine himself being with someone else. At least, he thought he did. Emily noticed this pause, she spoke quickly in a reassuring voice.

"Jacob, the thing you have to understand is nothing is set in stone. Your situation is so much different than anything in our history has ever explained. We weren't sure if imprinting could go beyond humans and werewolves. You're a pioneer in this field, its okay to be experiencing different feelings than what your brothers are dealing with."

"But," Jacob started but stopped himself. He had to be careful with his words, this was Leah's cousin. He didn't want to reveal too much, in case anything came back to Leah or Emily got any ideas. "What if … what if imprinting can be undone? Like, there was a mistake and a way to reverse the process."

"One thing you must know about me is that I hardly believe in mistakes," Emily returned in a matter of fact voice and Jacob's stomach twisted, "I believe in lessons, everything in life happens for a reason and we must take from the situations and carry with them through our lives. Whatever you're going through Jacob, know that this is just another lesson from our ancestors and you must learn from it."

What lesson could he learn from imprinting on Nessie? Jacob thought hard about what Emily was saying to him. Imprinting was such a new concept; hardly anybody knew the rules and restrictions of how an imprint occurs and whether it can be undone. Nessie was only half mortal, something he had no idea existed up until few weeks ago. Everything was different, things were changing once again.

He sighed roughly, sitting in the silence felt comfortable with Emily. She was a great person to talk to, never pressured anybody to talk or would dig for details. She would always let the other person say what they needed to say, he never really appreciated that trait until now when he was letting her words sink into him. "I just want to be happy; I want to find someone to be happy with."

Her eyebrows furrowing, it looked like she was recalling some horrible nightmare for a moment. She breathed in as her eyes glistened momentarily before answering. "It hurt me more than you could ever know to hurt Leah, she was my best friend and sister. But, sometimes, to find your own happiness, some hearts may be broken," I looked up at her; a stray tear fell along the curve of her cheek. It was the first time I heard her talk about Leah in a long time. "I'm so happy with Sam, so happy. But I know Leah's happiness is out there, she will find someone to love and be loved so greatly in return. She's that type of girl," she paused a moment before looking him in the eyes. "Have faith, Jacob," she said as she leaned forward and put her tiny hand over the top of his, "things will work out."

"You're an amazing person," Jacob smiled weakly at her before putting his hand over the top of hers, "Sam's lucky to have you," he told her and she smiled before looking away, pink spreading across her cheek. She removed her hand from his and stood up, wiping her tears on her apron.

"My my, Jacob, look at me now," she said with a short laugh, "got me a crying mess and everything. Well, go help yourself to some of my cookies in the kitchen while I go clean myself up," she said as she walked out of the living room and down the small hallway. Jacob stood up and yawned, he was in desperate need of a good night's sleep but knew he wouldn't sleep well until things were settled.

He turned to walk into the small kitchen when he heard loud laughter outside the front door. In a few seconds, Embry opened the door and saw Jacob. He paused a second, a look of timid fear quickly spread across his face before Quil crashed into him, then Sam.

"What the heck, Embry? You can't stop in the mid-Oh, JACOB!" Quil said excitedly, pushing a shocked Embry to the side and rushing up to Jacob, punching him in the shoulder. "Hey man! How you been? I haven't seen you in this neck of the woods in ages."

"Hey! I know, I've been a little pre-occupied with things," Jacob said, scratching the back of his neck and feeling awkward for a moment.

"Why? Are those leeches sucking up all your time?" Quil asked and then paused for a moment, "Ha, get it? Leeches! Suck! Aha, I'm so good." He was laughing at his own joke before he was pushed aside and Sam came walking into the house.

"Hello Jacob," he said in his usual stern voice. Jacob had to admit, Sam was a good leader. He gave the air of someone in control and who got to the bottom of things.

"Sam," Jacob nodded, he was also becoming a better pack leader by following Sam's example.

"What's up?" Sam asked, giving Jacob a curious look before scanning the front room, obviously looking for Emily. "Where's Emily?"

"She's in the bathroom," Jacob said and waited until Sam's eyes landed back on him, "Listen, Sam. We need to talk. There's trouble."

"Trouble?" Quil instantly piped in, forgetting his lame joke. Embry stood in the back but was obviously listening very closely. "What kind of trouble?"

Jacob explained the attack on Alice. Initially, his story was met with some skepticism by the other werewolves but Jacob plowed on. It was worth a shot, he knew with all the werewolves on his side, they would almost unstoppable.

"We don't think all of them are on the same page, we think some of them are more thirsty for revenge than others," Jacob said before turning to Sam once again, "Please, Sam, I need your help. Dr. Cullen thinks they're going to attack them one by one, try to weaken the family and the people around them." Jacob told him.

For a moment, Sam look tiresome and worn out. Could it be the stress of handling a pack of werewolves by himself? Jacob could only estimate how big the pack was now. Instead of mocking him, he could only sympathize. Jacob was only managing three and he felt like he was due for retirement any time. He looked at Quil, his eager face filled with excitement and determination, and than at Embry, who was looking at Sam for guidance.

"What do you need us to do?" Sam finally breathed after several moments, looking at Jacob and taking in his shocked face.

"You mean, you'll help? No arguments or persuasion?" Jacob asked, he couldn't help himself but he was ready for a tug-of-war with Sam and helping the Cullens in whatever mess they had managed to get themselves in once again.

"We're bound to protect the people of La Push and Forks, that includes you and .. and the Cullens," Sam explained, exuding a sense of superiority. "We were going to help before, and we'll help now until the problem goes away.

"Plus, any time we can get an opportunity to rip apart blood sucking leeches without causing a war in Forks is a pretty good and rare opportunity," Quil smiled, almost leaping in the air with happiness. Everybody but Embry laughed. Jacob glanced at Embry who looked stern and distance.

Jake was happy that was settled but a new wave of exhaustion fell over him. It had been so long since he slept and now that he knew Sam was on his side, it was time to get some rest before starting the long process or organizing a plan to protect his land.

"Okay, well, I have to go tell the others. Gather your pack and meet us at the large meadow, an hour north of the Cullens, midnight tomorrow," Jacob said taking a step back and towards the door. "We'll strategize and make a plan." Jacob turned and brushed past Embry before jumping down the stairs two at a time. It had gone better than he had predicted a lot better than he had predicted. Deep down, Jacob knew it was the law of his ancestors that bound Sam to a contract to help him but he also wanted to believe that despite being in separate packs and both being alphas, Sam was considering the bond they had created over the years.

"JACOB!"

He turned and saw Embry racing down the steps towards him. Jacob took a quick, sharp breath before turning to face him. He knew this conversation was going to come, the confrontation. Jacob settled himself, he wasn't going to get angry or jealous, and he was going to handle this.

He paused for a moment, why would he get jealous?

"Jacob, I wanted to talk to you about Le-" Jacob feel the wires in his chest, the same wires he could mentally imagine binding him to Nessie, beginning to strain under the pressure of being close to Embry, the one who had something he wanted. He ignored this feeling and pushed it aside.

"No," Jacob quickly caught him off. For one, he didn't want Embry to go in an overly long, detailed story of them getting together that he didn't have to know. And second, he didn't want to hear him talk about Leah. _Snap_. Another wire broke.

"I just want her to be happy," Embry breathed quickly, ignoring Jacob's response. "You left her in pieces."

_Snap_. Jacob winced at this one, not because of the physical pain he felt in his chest but because of the truth and weight of his words. He turned his back, ready to run and phase into his wolf self but continued.

"I want us to be friends again, I want us to go back to the way we were before," Embry pleaded, following as Jacob marched into the forest. "Everything's different, but we're still the same people. Jacob, we are still brothers."

Jacob paused; he tried to regain control of the shivers that rushed up and down his spine. He was now standing at the edge of the forest, looking into the dark green, cavernous trees and the freedom from the truth he wanted to run from. He looked back at Embry, his eyes pleading for some type of resolution and peace. Jacob wanted peace, he wanted some way that he could mend his relationship with Embry, a person he once considered his best friend. Everything was different.

Jacob knew his relationship with Nessie was different than Sam and Emily's. The connection between them was so strong, solid and undying. However, Jacob felt his connection with Nessie was feeble, flexible. Jacob wasn't sure how to describe it, but he knew Leah was a factor in this entire mess. _Snap_.

Jacob looked up at Embry, who was still waiting for a response.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, before turning his back once again on him and running into the dark forest.

-

A/N: Well, so many story alerts but so little reviews. Well, thank you all for showing interest in my story. Please give me feedback (productive feedback, if you please) when you can.

Sorry this chapter is a long one. Once I start writing, it's hard for me to stop. Hope you enjoyed! - Nicole


	4. Where We Gonna Go From Here?

"Time is moving on our side  
How could I miss you to another guy  
Pull of the ocean and the roaring tide  
Is bigger than my eyes or my design" 'Where are we going to go there?' – Mat Kearney

--

A few hours later, Jacob woke up spread out on the Cullen's couch. At first, he woke slowly from some unknown disturbance. However, his attention was soon turned to the view outside. The sun was setting and twilight was covering the thousands of acres outside the Cullen's window. The sky was a peculiar shade of dusky purple and pale red. It is beautiful, Jacob thought to himself as he took it all in. How the trees swayed in unison from the slightest breeze, the canvas of a hundred million greens that danced to Mother Nature's will. He sat up, his eyes on this masterpiece that sat before him when …

"Sleep well? Came a soft voice and Jacob jumped off the couch and whirled around to find Alice sitting on the other end of the couch, seeming completely at ease despite Jacob's reaction to her.

"Holy crap, Alice," he breathed raggedly, running his fingers through his hair, trying to regain control over his erratic breathing. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"I know," she returned matter-o-factly, "I can hear. Do werewolves' hearts normally go that fast?"

"Not when pesky little vampires disturb them," he snapped back at her and turned back out the window. Twilight was gone, everything was darkened as if someone dimmed an oversized lamp. Jacob took a deep, steady breath, calming his wild heart and turned back to Alice who was looking at him innocently. "I'm sorry, you just scared me."

"I do that sometimes," she said with a mischievous grin that Jake couldn't help but smile at.

"How's your arm?" he gestured, sitting down on the couch next to her.

"It's been better," she said as she looked down and examined the arm in question. "Carlisle did a really great job patching me up but he said it may be months before I completely regain mobility, but at least its there, I guess," she said with slight disappointment in her tone.

"You sound unhappy about this?" Jake returned confused.

"Well, now I don't have a legit excuse to go on that one-armed shopping spree," she said with a soft sigh. Jake couldn't help but respond with laughter. "I brought you something," she said, reaching into a bag, leaning against the side of the couch. She pulled a piece of dark blue cloth covered in mud and grass. "This was my sleeve from the attack, unwashed and ready for you."

"Sweet, thanks Alice," he said as he took the piece of cloth and examined it.

"There was a big tug-o-war over my arm so his hands were all over that sleeve," she said with a slight grimace at the memory.

"Do you remember anything about him? Hair, color, clothes … did he say anything?"

"I don't know" she sighed in slight frustration. "It's all a blur … I can remember he was wearing all black, a little taller than me … but he had a deep voice," She said in an obvious effort to remember anything from that event. If there was one thing Jake knew about Alice, it was the feeling of not knowing everything.

"About telling you something, like to pass on a message?" Jake pushed, he needed details desperately. Alice bent over and rested her face in her hands. For a moment, he would've thought she was having a vision if she wasn't rocking back and forth.

"Give me a second," she said to the floor, "he said … he said …" than she softly gasped and quickly looked at Jake. "One by one."

It took Jake a moment to realize what Alice had said and just how quiet it was in place housing 9 vampires.

"Alice, where is everyone?" he breathed, his hands clutching the arm rest of the couch very tightly.

"Um," Alice said before closing her eyes. "Carlisle will be at the hospital all night. Esme and Jasper will be coming down stairs in 10 minutes. Edward and Bella will be in Seattle all weekend. Rosalie and Emmett are … they're … "

"With Nessie," Jake finished his sentence before bolting out the door. Jake was in such a hurry that he didn't see Leah about to knock on the front door. The two tumbled down the front steps of the Cullen's home before finally falling into a pile of tangled arms and legs. It took a moment or two before Jake realized he was laying on top of Leah as she was looking up at him, giving him a seething look.

"What the hell, Jake!?" Leah let out in frustration but he remained motionless. It was her. The girl who had been plaguing his thoughts with notions of love, betrayal and questioning imprinting and the legends he grew up listening to, a legend that had existed amongst his people for centuries. All these emotions and questions swirled around this girl.

"Jake?" Jake heard Leah's voice as it broke though his subconscious.

"Wha?" He asked as if coming out of a daze.

"GET OFF!!" She yelled before finally shoving him off of her. Jake rolled off her with a thud as Leah hurriedly stood up and wiped the dirt off her cargo pants. Jake stood up as well but not before catching Alice's inquiring eyes peering out off a near by window.

"What's your hurry?" Leah snarled as she continued to wipe off the debris that had accumulated on her clothes.

"The attacker … the attacker is after the Cullens… one by one," he breathed, letting the sentence hang in the air.

"So?" Leah asked, not catching the hints Jake was dropping.

"Ness is with Rosalie and Emmett, they don't know," Jake said and the image of the ones he loved, yes, Rosalie included, were out there unprotected hit him. Without another word, Jake ran into the woods and phased. He soon heard Leah's paws hitting the forest floor behind him and he knew he wasn't alone.

Adrenaline pumped through Jake's veins as all possible situations ran through his head like a never ending movie reel. The attacker coming at her from behind, kidnapping and her small body being shredded limb from limb were all possible. The thoughts of questioning imprinting and complaining of having no choice in the ones he loved were far from his mind. Jake felt the pull of his connection with Nessie tighten and he pushed his legs harder. He sniffed the air wildly, hoping and praying for any trace of their scent to be hanging in the air.

Fear began to seep into him. His breath quickened and he felt his heart drop to his stomach as a cold, hard panic began to set in. What if he was too late? What if she was already gone?

Finally, the welcoming sting of a vampire's scent hit his nose. Rosalie, it was strong and fresh. 5 minutes old, perhaps, His heart leapt out of his chest and he had to laugh at himself momentarily. Who knew the stench that came from vampbarbie could bring him such a wave of relief.

It was coming from the southeast. He quickly changed his path and was now following the scent as it as continually became stronger.

How could he have questioned this, his connection with Nessie? He was the big brother she needed and nothing about his dedication to that wavered.

Nessie's squeals broke through Jake's thoughts. Whether it was a squeal of fear or excitement, he couldn't tell.

He could see a flash of a head with very familiar blonde hair and pushed harder. He soon arrived at an open field where a disheveled Rosalie was detangling leaves and twigs from her hair. Jacob's eyes searched wildly and found Emmett walking towards him with Nessie in his arms.

"Thank God," he breathed as he took two large steps and swept Nessie out of her uncle's arms, cradling her against his chest.

"She's okay," Emmett told him solemnly as he moved over towards Rosalie to help her detangle a rather large twig from the back of her head.

"What happened?" Jacob asked in an exasperated voice. How could he be so stupid? Why was he not watching her even closer when such a danger was so close?

"They didn't get close to her," Emmett reassured him, "They jumped on me and tried to take me out." Jacob quickly looked at him up and down; he seemed fine, not a scratch to be seen on him. Rosalie, however, was looking more and more angry with each speck of dirt she found in her beloved head of hair.

"How did you fight them off?" Jacob asked as he set Nessie down, she was beginning to squirm under his strong embrace.

"Actually ..." he said, his eyes leaving Jacob and landing on a thoroughly irritated Rosalie.

"Stupid, vile, inconceivable ..." she trailed off in an obvious effort to think of more insulting adjectives. "That THING jumped on him from behind and tried to take Em's head off. I grabbed that … SCUM and threw him into a nearby tree," she gestured to a tree that was laying on its side, all its roots unearthed and broken. "I went after that … that … COWARD, but he had already gotten away." She breathed angrily, detangling the last leaf from her hair.

"Auntie Rose is scary when she's mad," Nessie murmured as she hugged Jacob's leg. "Jake, who's that?" she pointed to somewhere behind him. He turned to find Leah standing in the woods, still in wolf form, watching him and Nessie. Leah's shadowed facial expression, though in wolf form, was the saddest he had ever seen.

"Um, er …" he said glancing back at Nessie. "That's … that's my friend." He turned his head again and Leah was gone. He was so wrapped up in making sure Nessie and the Cullens were okay he had forgotten Leah had tagged along.

"Come on, sweetheart," he said, tugging on Nessie's arm as he pulled her back up into his arms and once again cradling her against is chest. "Let's get you out of here."

---

Jacob spent the remainder with Nessie, keeping himself busy and his mind somewhere else. Despite his numerous efforts, Jake couldn't get his mind off of Leah. He had promised himself not to hurt her, at least not to the extent Sam had but he had broken that promise several times over. That was his mother's spirit in him, always worrying about other people and putting their well being and happiness above his.

Leah was a companion, a friend, and someone Jake could always turn to. How could he ruin that? How could he test the strength of that kind of bond?

These thoughts and self doubts plagued him until it was time to leave the Cullen residence to meet with the other pack members.

He was soon running again, that familiar feeling of freedom was pumping through his veins and he felt at ease once again. A million shades of green rushed by him as the smell of pine and wet bark filled his sensitive nose. He could stay like this forever, enjoying his surroundings instead of dwelling on the complex issues that involve girls, love and destiny. But all too soon, he reached the designated field and knew that he would have to change back to the human form he was beginning to hate.

Quil and Embry were waiting there for him. A quick glance around the field told him that she had yet to arrive. Embry acknowledged him with a quick nod of his head but avoided eye contact. However, Quil sauntered over to him, slapping Jacob's bare back and letting out a barking laugh.

"Ready to tear apart some leeches?" he smiled, excitement evident in his voice. Jacob gave him a weak smile before taking a spot on the edge of the field, hiding himself from immediate recognition from the other pack members. He wanted some time to himself to think about what he was going to say to motivate the members, some so new that they were complete strangers to Jacob.

He watched as more and more wolves and humans entered the field, some looking as excited as Quil while others looking as nervous as Embry. Seth walked onto the field with his head held high and proud and he was quickly followed by Sam who almost immediately met Jacob's eyes before continuing to the center of the field.

Then she came. Jacob wasn't sure why but his breath got caught in his chest. Her eyes were hard and red, it was obvious she had been crying but was trying to hide that weakness with a hard exterior. She didn't notice Jacob and he quietly thanked whoever was responsible for that miracle. She kept her head low, her long, dark locks fell in her face as she made her way to the group of men in the center of the field. Jacob's eyes turned to Embry, who at that moment had spotted Leah and made a beeline to her. They were close enough to Jacob that he could hear their conversation unseen.

"Leah," he breathed, reaching up and rubbing her bare arms. She kept her head bowed but quickly wiped away stray tears. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said all too quickly, "nothing it's just something stupid." Her voice was broken and Jacob could feel his heart tighten at the sound of these words.

"Come on, you can tell me," Embry pushed, his voice soft and tender. Leah took a small sniff and lifted her head to meet his concerned gaze. Another tear fell and Embry quickly wiped it away, leaving his hand cupping her cheek.

"It's just," she began, breathing in deeply before continuing, "life just takes odd turns, you know? You just, you never know what may be round the corner. You can think something is definite or meant to be and … it's not. Something … something impossible comes into the picture and ruins it. Ruins your happiness and the life you had built around it."

Jacob stared at the two, taking in every word Leah had just said. He had no idea, he had no idea these feelings of infatuation weren't just infatuation but something else, something deeper. He had hurt her just like Sam. Guilt closed around his throats and it suddenly became very hard to breathe.

"I'm not catching what you mean, something impossible?" Embry replied, confusion written all over his face. Leah softly laughed to herself, shaking her head but locking her gaze on him.

"I just don't understand why when I think I can finally be happy, the rug is always pulled out from under me," she told him, her voice breaking slightly at the truth in her own words. Embry ran his fingers through her hair as he tucked a strand behind her ear and she bowed her head.

"I want to be your happiness, Leah," he told her tenderly. "I'm not going anywhere, I don't want to go anywhere. I'm here to stay. Got it?" He held her face to his and waited. Her eyes were turned down for a moment before looking up and reaching his. They stood still for a moment as Jacob watched. Everything around them was still, the deafening silence seemed to pound against Jacob's ears as he tried to tear his eyes away but failing. He didn't want to watch this, he felt intrusive in their private moment. He could feel his eyes begin to water as Embry reached down and brushed his lips against Leah's, kissing her deeply before pulling her closer into a tight embrace. Jake looked down at the ground, his hand wrapped tightly around a branch he had no idea he was holding. He let go and saw the branch was morphed, the imprint of his fingers remaining in the bark. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he choose? He loved Nessie but could he have two loves in one life?

He looked back up and they had their backs turned to him, talking to the others in the group. Deep inside, he wanted run, he wanted to get as far away from this place as he possibly could. But he knew, deep down inside, that he couldn't possibly tear himself away from this place. His roots ran so deep here, he couldn't leave any of that to risk. He had accepted a responsibility and he was going to live up to that responsibility whether it left his heart in shattered pieces or completely take his life.

He couldn't keep running; he was their leader, their alpha. He Cullens had become so much more, more than bloodsuckers, more than leeches, more than enemies to his kind. They had evolved, as much as the pack had, and were now partners in keeping their land and the people who live here. He couldn't run like some scared boy trying to escape the boogeyman. He was going to stand up, girl problems or not, and fight for what was his and everything that means something to him.

"Okay," he said loudly as he stood up and confidently walked to the middle of the field. "Let's get started."

Author's Note: Thank you so, so, so, so much for your interest in my story. I apologize for the lateness of the chapter (hey, being a senior in college is not a walk in the park!) but your comments either supporting or threatening (update your story or I am kicking down your door and making you) helped me find the time to write this chapter. Hopefully, with the two weeks I have left of this term, I'll be able to push out a couple more chapters. I would also like to thank my friend Vonnie for quickly editing my story. Vamp pack, represent!

Thank you once again! - Nicole


	5. Ashes and Wine

"Is there a chance?  
A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel?  
A reason to fight?  
Is there a chance you may change your mind?  
Or are we ashes and wine?

Don't know if our fate's already sealed  
This day's spinning circus on a wheel  
I'm ill with the thought of your kiss  
Coffee laced intoxicating on her lips" – "Ashes and Wine" By A Fine Frenzy

_Stupid, stupid girl. _

_Vile, repulsive, back stabbing, stupid girl._

Leah couldn't think of any more insults or names to give herself so she stewed in silence momentarily, letting the waves of the ocean in front of her fill her ears and subconscious.

She knew Jacob was watching her the entire time. She knew how to twist him tighter around her little finger, how to draw in his attention and how to shatter his heart. Not only was she hurting Jacob, giving him an ounce of the type of pain she deals with on a daily basis, but she was also using Embry.

She couldn't love him, not in the way he deserved. He was too good for her, too kind. He needed a girl who could be wrapped up in that type of fantasy love story were Juliet meets Romeo and they run off together. Leah was no Juliet and had no desire to ever become one.

Once again, Leah wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Away from the noise and chaos that was the pack at the moment. After the demonstrations on how to kill vampires, all the other werewolves were excited and ready for action. Some had never faced this type of enemy and were ready to prove their worthiness and dedication to the pack and protecting La Push. When they started to practice and play fight, Leah was separated from Embry who was too engaged in the violence to notice her absence. She left the clearing and went to the only place she knew she could get silence from the shouts of glee and happiness of the pack, First Beach.

Leah didn't phase this time. She sat in her human form along the cold, sandy beaches. Anybody who would look out their window right now would think they're looking at a crazy, local girl: the drizzle was wicked against the coast line and whipped leaves and branches off the trees. Why would anybody risk their death for a cold day at the beach?

Leah sat close to the edge of the forest on top of an old, dead log. The only sounds that were filling her ears were the pulsating beats of the cold Pacific Ocean. The sea was almost black with the passing storm, broken apart by the white foam and swells. Each wave rushed the shore with a great roar, claiming sand and dirt before pulling back to prepare for another punch. Leah watched this dance between land and water, enjoying the simplicity and complete innocence of it. She wanted a distraction, something that would not bring her thoughts back to Embry and Jacob.

"What are you doing out here?" a voice broke through her trance. Leah glanced over her shoulder to see Seth stumbling out of the woods. He shielded his eyes against the sheets of rain that poured down like tiny daggers. However, the chill air never bothered them and the rain only became a nuisance when one wanted to stay dry. She shrugged and returned her attention to the ocean in front of her.

"I don't need to practice, I've had enough," she stated in a stiff tone of voice. She felt Seth plop down next to her, scooping a pile of sand with his two feet and proceeded to play with it. Leah gave a small smile, it was always like Seth wanting to play while at the beach. He loved it as a kid, always daring to go further and further out into the sea. He always waited until their father's teasing smile turned into one of pure fright as he dived into the ocean to retrieve his dare devil of a son. The memory of her father returning to land with a squealing boy over his shoulder felt like a boulder dropping to the bottom of Leah's stomach. She shook her head and tried to rid herself of the memory.

"Are you okay? You haven't been yourself lately?" He said, not tearing his gaze out of the shamble of a castle he was trying to build with the wet sand.

"I'm never okay, Seth," she said truthfully but instantly regretted the remark. "It's complicated, no place for little brothers to get involved," she said, trying to mimic's Sam's capability of closing a subject with a single sentence. Whether she failed this task or Seth wasn't paying close attention, Seth still gave Leah an offended look.

"Little? Excuse me, but I have a good couple inches on you. I'm not so _little_ anymore, thanks," Seth said and Leah could've sworn she saw him flex his muscles slightly. She couldn't help but smile at her brother's attempt at manhood. She was always surprised to take a step back and see just how much her younger brother had grown in the past couple months.

"You know what I'm saying, you're much too young to understand love and boys," she grumbled, now picking at the dead log beneath her. Her attempt to seem indifferent didn't work either because Seth continued to look at her with concern.

"You mean, using one guy to get back at another for something he can't control." Seth said and watched the shock grow on his sister's face.

"How did yo-"

"The others may have tuned you out, but I haven't," he told her, making eye contact before returning his attention to the castle before him. "Trust me, if I could I would but I think our connection, the blood in our veins, is too strong. I know more about what's going on than you think and I understand more than you think. Like I said before," he paused, glancing briefly at her. "I'm not so little anymore."

Leah smiled at this. Though she couldn't suppress the annoyance of her pesky little brother reading into her tangled love life, she didn't feel completely alone anymore. She was thankful that the entire world wasn't against her and she had some type of person that didn't hate her for the decisions she had made. Though she would have at least liked this companion to be female, she appreciated him a little more after his confession.

She would never, ever say this to his face.

"So, what do you think I should do?" Leah asked, her voice so quiet that the rioting ocean in front of them almost drowned her out completely.

"That, I cannot tell you," Seth said, sitting back and enjoying his sand masterpiece before him. From the right angle and a few more sticks and leaves, it could've looked like a castle. Leah watched this as Seth continued, "I've never been good with girls and the hundred, million different emotions you guys go through everyday. However, I do think I know something you can do that may make you feel a little bit better."

"What's that?" She asked as she reached over to help one of the columns of Seth's castle before it crumbled to pieces.

"Talk to Emily." He said and she felt the castle crumble under her hands sudden reflex. She pulled back and stared at Seth as if he had gone off the deep end. She had to give him credit though, he said a lot with so few words.

"Are you crazy? I can't talk to her, I haven't talked to her in years," Leah said, her voice filed with disbelief. She shook her head and faced back to the ocean. She couldn't fathom the idea, it was impossible. Emily and Leah's time had passed, a friendship was no longer possible. Right?

"Leah, she's getting married next week. Yes, you heard me right, next week." Seth said as Leah's jaw drop. She quickly pulled herself together and brought her knees to her chest, still taking in the words he was saying. "She needs her best friend, she needs a companion, a girl to help her get ready for the wedding. And you, Leah, you need to suck it up and accept the fact that your best friend is happy. You don't have to be there for Sam but at least be there for Emily. She's the only one who counts, really," he said, pausing briefly before continuing. "C'mon, Leah. Stop being so stubborn and be there for her."

Tears sprang from her eyes and slid down her cheeks before she could stop them. Seth was right, he was completely right. It was the stubbornness that she was so infamously known for that was keeping her from Emily. Deep down inside, she recognized that ache and need for another female companion, one who could possibly understand all the thoughts and feelings that rushed her mind constantly. Somebody who knew of the secret and may know the frustrations and misgivings that came along with imprinting. She felt like she had to walk alone, deal with the troubles of being the only female werewolf in history by herself. But there was an answer, and that answer was Emily.

She brought her focus back to the ocean, watching the swells build up to soaring heights before crashing down once again. She wiped the tears that stained her face before turning back to her brother who was, conveniently, too occupied by rebuilding his sand castle to notice Leah's reaction. "You know more about girls than you give yourself credit for, Seth." Smile smiled to herself before continuing. "You'll make someone really happy someday."

"Yeah, I hope that day isn't too soon," he scoffed as he finally gave up on the crumbling structure he had built. "The thought of imprinting gives me the heebie jeebies." Leah gave a snort of a laugh before sweeping down and giving Seth a peck on the cheek.

"Tell anyone we had this conversation and your ass is grass, dear brother." She whispered into his ear before she stood up and made her way into the forest, leaving Seth alone with his crumbled sand castle.

"Hey! Don't forget, you're on watch tonight!" Seth called to her before Leah sprinted into a run.

She didn't phase this time, wanting her thoughts and senses with her of how she was going to make up to her ex-best friend. She focused on her breathing, keeping it even and steady. She imagined their conversation, whether a joyous welcoming or a cold shoulder, and alternative plans if one should fail. Before she knew it, she had already arrived in the clearing where Emily's cabin stood.

She breathed in deeply and could smell something delicious wafting through the kitchen. It was almost dusk and she knew Sam and the boys would be home soon. She knew her time to make amends was short but she had to do it now, while she had the energy and nerve. She walked slowly up the first couple of steps, hearing Emily bustling with pots and pans in the kitchen. She raised her hand and knocked softly three times. An ice cold feeling began to drip down Leah's spine as she listened to the clatter abruptly stop and heard footsteps approaching the front door.

Emily opened the door, a kitchen towel in her hand, looking at Leah with a curious but concerned look. "Leah?" She breathed, looking around her to see if anybody had joined her. The scar that covered nearly covered half of her face seemed more gruesome and deep in the shadows of the setting sun. The evidence of what loving Sam can do to a girl. For Emily, the scars are on the outside but for Leah, they lie too deep inside of her to be flesh wounds. She had to tear her eyes away, Emily always noticed when people stared too long at her face.

"Hi," Leah returned in a small voice. There was a pregnant pause when Emily came to the conclusion that Leah came on her own accord. A look of fear swept across her face as Emily dropped her kitchen towel to the floor, raised her hands to cover her mouth and gasped softly.

"What's happened? Where are the boys?" Emily asked in a soft yet scared voice.

"What? No, no, no," Leah quickly retorted, shaking her head and reaching over to Emily, resting her hand upon her arm as a sign of comfort. Leah recognized this unfamiliar gesture and quickly dropped her hand, acting as smoothly as possible. _Too soon_, she reminded herself. "Everything's fine, nobody is hurt. I just … I just wanted to … er, speak with you."

Relief came to Emily as she dropped her hand and picked up the towel. Though she looked much calmer than before, Emily still looked confused at Leah's sudden appearance on her door step. Nothing was going right thus far and Leah's seemingly smooth plan was falling apart at the seams but she knew she needed to press forward.

"Talk to me? About what?" She gave Leah a quick glance over, gauging whether this visit was part of a bigger joke. She must've realized the seriousness and nervousness in Leah's demeanor because she leaned against the door frame and waited with interest.

"I just needed to, uh, to talk to you. Talk about things. Do you want to sit down with me outside for a few minutes?" Leah gestured to the bench that sat in front of the house, momentarily feeling like she was on the Price is Right. She shoved her hands in her pockets, believing they were best left there instead of being left alone to do what they wanted. Emily stared at her dumb foundedly, unsure of how to interrupt this odd gesture coming from Leah. She hesitated before grabbing her c oat and closing the door behind her. The rain had died down, leaving everything drenched, and there even a few patches of blue sky that could be seen. A good omen, Leah hoped secretly.

They both quietly sat down on the bench which gave a soft groan from their combined weight. Leah smiled, the bench was almost as old as Seth, a present to Emily and Sam upon their engagement from Leah's father. He had carved it out of Douglas Fir wood that gave the bench a beautiful stained red color along with a strong scent of freshly carved wood. Leah remembered watching her dad build the bench, jealously filling her heart, and she abandoned those thoughts quickly as she focused on the now.

Emily was quiet, her hands folded in her lap and her knees turned towards Leah. She patiently waited as Leah searched for the right opening sentence to begin this difficult conversation.

"You look great," Leah said quickly, deciding to start on safe and easy ground. "The house looks amazing, kind of like what you've always dreamed of."

Emily smiled, a light shade of crimson spread along her cheeks as she looked down at her hands. "Thanks," she mumbled before glancing back at the house. "I don't have a lot of other things on my plate right now, aside from the wedding but the house is coming along. Of course it has its leaks and problems but I still love it. It's our home."

"Yeah, the wedding," Leah shifted uncomfortably, bringing her attention to the forest in front of them. _Keep it safe_, she reminded herself. She felt a spasm of fear and her heart pound against her chest but she took in a deep, steadying breath before continuing. "Seth told me. That has to be exciting."

"Yes, yes it is," Emily added cautiously, she was now watching Leah closely. "You know, there's always been an invitation for you. I would absolutely love for you to come."

Leah glanced up at Emily, she had the most sincere look in her eyes. Leah found them hard to look into. She knew she couldn't resort to her usual bitter attitude right now, especially not in front of Emily. She pushed the hate and jealously of the wedding aside, she tried to find what happiness she had left in her and pulled it to the surface.

"Really? You want me to be there, even after everything …" Leah trailed off, not wishing to bring up bad memories. They had made promises for so long to be at each other's wedding but those plans seemed to be blown to pieces once the imprint happen. _It wasn't her fault_, a voice said in the back of her head. _She would never deliberately hurt you and look at her. She's positively glowing. Don't ruin her special day because of your jealously._

"Of course, is that even a question?" Emily scoffed, this time grabbing Leah's hand out of her pocket and holding it. "Leah, you're like my sister. You could do worse and I would still love you, nothing could ever change that. I just wish, I wish …"

"Wish what?" Leah replied, her voice soft as if she were carefully treading on broken glass. Emily took a deep breath before continuing. Seth's words, _stop being so stubborn and be there for her_, echoed in her head and she prepared herself to hear them for the second time in one day.

"I wish you would see that it's not my fault. I wish you would see how happy he makes me and how I wish for that exact amount of happiness for you," a tear escaped Emily's eye and fell into her apron. "I wish you could share that happiness with me, if it's not too late."

Leah silently looked back at Emily, her cousin, her sister. Remembering all the good times they had with each other, the laughs and the tears. The life they shared as sisters before men and werewolves became involved. She wanted that life back so bad, she wanted the late night talks with Emily, to come over whenever for a cup of tea and a Lifetime movie. Leah did want Emily to be happy and she did want to be a part of that happy life once again. Leah could feel the bitterness and hate that was built up like a wall inside her begin to crumble much like Seth's excuse of a sandcastle. As Leah continued to look into Emily's happy, glowing face, she could feel the wall wash away.

"I … I don't know what to say," a tear escaping Leah's own eyes, when did she become so weepy? She laughed at her stupidity, when did she ever become a real girl? She wiped the tear away hastily as Emily joined her in laughter.

"Please, just say yes," Emily pleaded, squeezing Leah's hand. Leah smiled briefly before pulling Emily into a tight embrace. Though the jealously of Emily's position, being the imprint of a person Leah was so certain she was going to spend the rest of her life with, Leah was going to have to find a way to destroy that part of her. Whether that was moving on and finding a love of her own, she wasn't sure.

Then the thought struck her, the reason why she was at Emily and Sam's house. The image of Jake flashed in her mind and it felt like a stone falling to the deepest, darkest part of her stomach.

"So," Emily said, finally breaking the hug but continuing to hold Emily close. "Why did you come here? Obviously, it wasn't about the wedding .."

"No, no it wasn't." Leah returned, her voice was once again quiet and reserved. The smile on Emily's face faltered when she saw the seriousness in Leah's. "It's, well … If I tell you, it has to stay between us. I don't want the pack in my head, helping me untangle the mess that is my life right now."

"Yes, yes of course." Emily returned earnestly, "Tell me everything."

And so Leah did. It was like an avalanche, months of holding in thoughts, feelings, and theories all stemming from the idea of imprinting, her relationship with Embry and her love for Jacob. Leah appreciated Emily's never ending patience, nodding along but remaining quiet as Leah let go of all the thoughts and ideas that had been running through her mind for the past couple of months. When she was finally reaching the end of her long story, it felt like an elephant had been lifted off her shoulders and she could finally breathe a little easier.

"I think it was jealously, you know," Leah was finishing, "I wanted him to feel what I felt when he's with … with her." Leah sighed and bowed her head, punctuating the end of her story and signaling to Emily that she had finished. Silence filled in the space between them and Leah took it as a sign that Emily was processing all the information she had just given her.

"Wow," Emily finally breathed. "Leah, I … I just don't know what to say." Leah gave a small smile, she had at least expected this type of reaction to the disastrous situation. She lifted her head to see the utter confusion on Emily's face but was instead engulfed in one of her bear hugs. Leah was stiff at first but then relaxed, this is what she needed. Boys didn't understand this type of communication, a type of condolence without words or thoughts. Tears once again brimmed her eyes, she felt touched that Emily didn't judge her for her mistakes or the mess that she had gotten herself into. After a few moments, Emily finally released Leah. A look of confusion and disbelief remained on her face.

"This is so weird," was all Emily could say after a while.

"I know, right? Try being in my shoes with a pack of boys in my head to analyze everything I'm thinking," Leah sighed with a small laugh as she shook her head. "I think Jacob has been so wrapped up in everything that he hasn't been really digging into my thoughts. I honestly don't think he knows or at least he's doing a good job hiding it." She paused, bringing her knees towards her chest and holding them tight. She felt her next sentence sitting on her tongue but she wasn't sure she was ready to confess it to Emily, let alone come to terms with it herself.

"Do you think you love him? Jacob, I mean?" It was as if Emily had reached into her mind and asked the question she dreaded. She didn't respond right away, letting the words mull over in her head.

"Yes," Leah spoke softly. "I do, and not like a brother … something much more than a brother." Leah felt a few more weights lift off her chest. It was weird being so open about something she wanted to bury at the bottom of the ocean. With her confession out, it became more real for her. She did love Jacob, no matter what he did to her or to anybody else. That love would never falter. It was like a best friend love but more, so much more. She couldn't describe it, it sort of felt like a heat pulsating at the bottom of her stomach. When she was near Jacob or was thinking about him, that heat began to pulsating and move.

Then, like a bucket of cold water being poured over the top of her head, Leah felt the hopelessness of the situation sink in. "But he's imprinted," she said, not sure if it was directed towards Emily or if she was reminding herself. "He's imprinted and he's happy and I can't do anything. We were perfect together, I just felt like we were so close to … to something. And then he saw her and it was all over." Her voice became stern as memories of watching Jacob reunite with the half demon child flashed in her head. Her jaw tightened and she could feel her hands begin to shake with anger.

"Maybe it's not all over," Emily said, breaking through Leah's angry thoughts. Her jaw immediately relaxed and she looked over at her cousin who looked deep in thought. "Imprinting is not a well known practice, we know so little and everything happened so quickly. I mean, a few months ago we didn't know female werewolves were possible, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm a freak of nature, remember?" Leah retorted with a snort that Emily swiftly ignored.

"I'm just saying that … that we don't know a lot about her kind, Jake's imprint," she had obviously stepped over saying Nessie's full name as she continued, giving Leah a determined look. "She's not completely human, right? So maybe the rules that we know are true don't necessarily apply. It wouldn't seem logical, it's like this legend we're living in threw us a curve ball."

"So, what you're saying is," Leah furrowed her eyebrows at this and gave Emily a hard look. "The imprint may not be as concrete as we believe it is, compared to other imprints we've seen?"

"Possibly, I mean I'm saying this all from guesswork and examples but, look at what we know. Werewolves have imprinted on human tribe members, that's what we've consistently seen and that's what legend has consistently stated." Emily told her, a smile on her face as she looked at Emily. "But who's to say? Only time will tell, really."

Leah nodded and they fell in silence once again. It felt good to have Emily back on her side, a female companion in world that was seemingly full of rambunctious teenage werewolves.

The sun was beginning to set and the sky was changing into a deep, blood red color. In the distance, Leah could hear the sound of the ocean continually pounding the shore, exercising the last bit of energy the storm had provided.

"Where are those boys? I'm surprised nobody has walked in on us yet. They know I hate making dinner late," Emily sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. Leah looked around the vacant lot, it was odd that nobody had come to interrupt their girl time when it was so close to dinner.

"I'll go see, maybe Seth's with them," Leah replied, a sense of curiosity and fear pushed her toward as she walked towards the forest to face. Once she fell to the ground in her werewolf form came the avalanche of voices. It sounded like a thousand excited voices were all clamoring to spread the news of the most recent event.

_We caught one_

_We got 'em_

_Fell into our trap_

_Blood sucker_

_We got one!_

_Crossing the Sol Duck River_

_Holding him captive_

_He's talking …_

Without looking back, Leah lunged into the forest.

AN: Thank you again to the most wonderful and lovely friend/fan fiction addict Vonnie. I lurve her. AND JEN, who also stays on my butt and bugs me until the chapter is finished. I dedicate this chapter to you (if you trade it in, I hear you can get a nice pair of shoes in return). And thank YOU, the person who deals with my uncommonly long absences from this story. Your love and devotion to reading my writing makes me happier than you'll ever know. Thank you. I promise I will finish this story, I do. I don't know how long it will take since I'm entering my last six months of school, but I will. Thank you, thank you and thank you! - Nicole


	6. Burning Bridges

'You know exactly what I want so  
I don't have to be so damn upfront  
no matter the moment we decide to make our minds up  
I know a man who may need a new assignment  
to hand in his heart and take his last vacation  
attempting to spoil imagination  
if anyone ever wonders where he went  
I wouldn't say that he spent his time driving over  
burning, burning, burning bridges ' Burning Bridges' by Jason Mraz

As Leah ran to the location where the prisoner was being held, she could not shake thoughts of Jake from her head. She tried to focus on the trees as they whizzed by, the colors of the leaves and the smell of the earth but nothing helped in her effort to focus. He was like a blanket covering her, no matter where she shifted or turned, he was still there, haunting her every thought.

She shook her head, as she dodged trees and bushes, as if the thoughts would magically tumble out of her brain. _It's business time_, she thought to herself, _he's just going to have to wait._

Leah could tell she reached the right spot because of the overwhelming stench that filled her nose. It seemed to fill the small area like cigarette smoke as Leah slowed her running down to an easy pace. She had no idea why, but the vampire's scent seemed to be magnified ten-fold when they were freshly created. Was it possibly the fresh venom running through their veins? Leah had no idea. She could tell that prisoner was young because of her animalistic howls and growls. The recognition was so vague, like a hazy memory but so very familiar to her. Images of the young vampire attacking her when dealing with the redhead ran through her head.

Her brothers stood in a circle as Leah entered the small meadow, all looking down at the same spot before them. Leah shifted and approached the area, preparing herself to finally see the creature that was causing all the chaos surrounding her. She was surprised to see a young girl, in her early teens at least, withering on the ground before her. Her dark hair was long and tangled with leaves and twigs. It was a stark contrast against her skin, which was pale white. She was being held down by three pack members: Quil, Embry and another member I believed his name was Zach were holding her down with great difficulty. She thrashed on the ground, making attempts to bite her captors but failing every time. She was sporting the signature scarlet irises that Leah was so familiar with. Her eyes were wide and crazed, this scent chills down Leah's spine.

She approached the group slowly, keeping her eyes on the prisoner until she stood among them. She could see him across the group and Leah slowly gasped.

She had never seen such controlled rage on Jake's face before. The usual, kind face was tensed up and murderous. Fists clenched in tight balls, his eyes never left the young girl. Leah was not used to this Jake, such a slave to his anger. This wasn't her Jake.

"The doctor is on his way," Jared spoke, who was standing next to her. "You haven't missed anything. She's a fighter." Leah nodded and looked back down at the small girl. Some part of her felt sympathy, even for a blood sucker she was so programmed to hate. This girl had a life before being thrown into the mythological battle of werewolves and vampires. She never asked for this curse and now she was slowly being tortured because of it. She couldn't control her urges, the deep down feeling to tear apart and feed on anything that has a beating heart. As she continued to try with all her strength to break from of the three boy's grasps, Leah knew what would be in store for this young girl and it wasn't freedom.

Dr. Cullen came into the clearing a few minutes later closely followed by his son, Edward, and Seth. He looked his usual business matter, his beautiful face calm and collected while his son had a face that could almost mirror Jacob's. His glare was steely cold and his jaw was clenched close. He looked like he was trying to push down urges that would surely complicate the matter if he were to act upon them.

"Where is she?" he said swiftly to the few standing outside of the circle. Immediately, the group split and gave the two vampires a clear path to the young girl who continued to thrash underneath the strong gasps of the young werewolves that stood around her. A flicker of recognition was clearly visible across Dr. Cullen's face before he moved forward to the girl. "Emma?"

"You know her?" a boy I did not recognize growled while a dozen heads flew up and stared at Carlisle who was now standing above the girl.

"She was a patient of mine, a few months ago," he said in a hushed voice, like he was reminding himself of who this young girl used to be before her new eternal life. "Emma, what happened to you?" His voice was strained, like he wanted to cry but remained composed. The young girl kept her eyes locked on Dr. Cullen, her thrashing had died down as she stared down the doctor. "She was brought to me with self inflicted wounds, her parents didn't know where her depression came from or what could bring her to hurt herself. I treated her and recommended a hospital in Seattle that dealt with such psychological disorders."

"She's from a psych hospital?" Jake asked, his head snapped up and met Sam's eyes. Without phasing, Leah could tell what the two brothers were trying to communicate silently, _how many others are from that psych ward?_

"Emma, how did you get here?" Carlisle implored once again, kneeling down to the girl's eye level. He showed no fear, no hesitation as the pack of werewolves watched from a distance.

"Are you the leader of the Cullen clan?" She asked, her voice was high pitched and icy, many watchers including Leah winced at the sound, like a thousand daggers had rained down onto their ears.

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

"Good," she said, a small smile played across her lips. This sent another wave of shivers down Leah's spine but it wasn't the pitch of her voice but the malicious look on her face. "I've come with a warning." She sat up straight, her head level with Carlisle. He didn't move but Emma continued. "Be prepared, you have made many, many of our kind angry. We are watching, we are waiting for a time to strike because it is coming soon. We do not like the power your family holds nor do we like the deal you have made with these beasts."

Growls erupted from the crowd but they were instantly silenced by Jacob and Sam's warning glares.

"Who sent you?" Carlisle asked, his voice was stern but Leah could faintly hear the sound of desperation.

Emma laughed, a child's laugh if anything, as she leaned forward towards the doctor. The three who were holding her back tightened there grips so she only leaned forward a few inches. "Make your peace, doctor, it won't be much longer."

Several things happened at once. For a human, these events would've seemed like a blur, impossible to dissect what caused what and what exactly happened. It would all seem like a rush of sound, color, screams of horror and an unfamiliar burning smell would sting their noses. But for Leah, who was standing further outside the circle, saw everything as if it all happened in slow motion before her eyes.

Before Carlisle could form a response, Emma turned her head quickly and bit one her captors on the arm. A howl of pain and a shriek of agony was all the young blood sucker could manage before the pack descended upon her, ripping her into pieces. Jared acted quickly and was the first to start a fire and they immediately began to burn the pieces of Emma. Carlisle and Edward stood back, unable to stop the outraged werewolf pack from finishing the young girl. They watched, anger and concern clearly evident on their faces as they began to destroy Emma. The few wolves who tended to destroying the young blood sucker worked quickly, the fire reached several feet before all the pieces of Emma were burned.

And Zach, the boy Leah barely knew, lay on the ground convulsing. A few men were able to break away from the dissembling of Emma to try to help his brother but it was too late. Foam was pouring out of his mouth and his skin grew more and more pale. His cries were choked and caught in his throat as his eyes were rolled in the back of his head and his face turned pale white. His chest convulsed up and down as his arms jerked uncontrollably as the vampire's venom made it's way through the young werewolf's body. There was nothing anybody could do to save him. Nobody had ever seen a werewolf be bitten by a vampire before. With one last convulsion, Zach died as the flames of Emma's fire rose higher in the sky.

Everybody was quiet after a while, after the flames and the smell of acid began to fade into the night. They all silently mourned the loss of Zach and after a few moments, standing silently around his body with their heads bowed in respect. Sam appointed several boys to take his body to his parents and they complied without argument. What story they were going to tell them, Leah had no idea. She watched several members leave, following in the makeshift funeral procession as they took Zach's body to La Push. Dr. Cullen, Edward, Jacob, Sam and Leah were left in the small clearing. Dr. Cullen was the first to speak.

"I believe she was sent by the Volturi." He said matter-of-factly, his eyes remained on the cinders of the now perished fire.

"How do you know?" Edward asked, his face full of concern as he looked at his father. "This doesn't seem like something they would do."

"I don't think it's one of the elders, I think it's one of their henchmen," Carlisle said, quickly meeting Edward's eyes before he looked towards Jacob and Sam. "And now you're packs are targets too."

"We'll guard the Cullens, day and night," Sam said, taking a step forward towards the two vampires. His voice was quiet, his face was whiter than usual, as he spoke to Dr. Cullen. "We'll up our strength, develop new strategies …"

"Thank you but we need something bigger, I think we need to devise a larger plan to prepare for any type of battle," Carlisle nodded before turning to Edward again. "We may need to get in contact with the Denali clan and the others, warn them of the new developments we've learned today. We must go now but we will be in touch and let you know of anything new."

Edward and Carlisle said their goodbyes before running into the dark woods towards their homes. Jacob and Leah remained in the field, saying nothing. After the two Cullens disappeared, Sam didn't say a word to Leah and Jacob but instead, nodded to them before leaving the clearing, followed by the remaining werewolves to develop new plans for whatever they were facing.

Jacob continued to stare at the spot where Zach's body remained, not speaking but obviously holding back something. Leah flexed her fingers, yearning to reach out to him but knowing better not to. She could see the pain, that same controlled rage bubble underneath his skin but also knew how Jacob functions; he didn't like any type of physical contact when he was angry.

She sighed, frustrated with the situation. Why were there so many walls that separated them, so many things that had to go unsaid and undone because of tradition, the history of their people and the mysterious imprinting process. It felt like brick walls the size of football fields separated Leah from Jacob. She wanted to act on her act and the impulses that pumped through her veins, the urge to run across the short distance that separated them and make him forget his troubles. The consequences would be great but would it be worth it?

She took a step forward and Jacob inhaled sharply.

"Leah, please," he said, his voice strained but quiet. It pained Leah deeply, the sound of sadness, guilt. He didn't look up at her, his eyes were somewhere far away. "I can't do this right now."

"Jacob, I want to help you," she said, her voice fierce. In the distance she could hear rain drops beginning to hit the trees above them. Leah stared him down, silently daring him to do something, to make a move that would justify the actions she wanted to do so badly. "Just let me … " she couldn't finish the sentence, speaking the truth was harder than she wanted to admit. Saying the words that were burning a hole in her heart would solidify her motives, her needs and her desires.

He shook his head, his face wet and she wasn't sure if it was from the rain falling from the trees or the tears that were beginning to fall.

"It's my fault, I should've acted, I should've killed that thing before it could … it could …" he let his words hang in the air but Leah didn't need him to finish his thoughts, she already knew. She took a few more steps forward but he didn't protest, his eyes remained unfocused on the spot where Zach had died only a few hours earlier. "This thing that's coming, I don't know how to fight it, I don't know how to protect the people I love."

"Jake, don't say that," she was close to him now, close enough to reach out but she kept a safe distance. However, she felt the ache in her arms to wrap themselves around Jake. "It wasn't your fault. He died for the right cause, to protect La Push."

He shook his head, "I can't do this, I should've let Sam stay the alpha. I'm not cut out for this, I can't watch my family die in front of me." Tears were falling more freely from his eyes and it shocked Leah to see him like this, like an open wound throbbing with regret and guilt. His hands were shaking as he lowered his head, his wet, black hair falling into his face. The rain was falling much heavier now, they were both soaked but neither showed any sign of caring. "What if it was Quil who was bit? Or, or what if Seth got in the way? What if … what if you got hurt? I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you," he confessed before quickly adding, "you or the pack."

Leah wanted to laugh but didn't, the small confession filled her heart like a balloon. It wasn't a marriage proposal but it was a sign of compassion, a worry for Leah's safety. Without thinking she reached forward and placed her hand on Jacob's forehand. He didn't jerk away. Instead he looked up at her, Leah admired his soft, brown eyes for a moment before pulled him towards her and wrapping her arms around him. He didn't squirm away like she suspected him, he didn't argue or push her away. He accepted her move and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him.

It wasn't like hugging Embry, nothing could compare to this. It was like all of those cheesy metaphors for finding the perfect fit came true for a tiny moment. Like finding the other puzzle piece, the perfect shoes that fit like a dream, finding the perfect spice for a bland dish, finding the ying to your yang; it all clicked for Leah. It was comfortable, safe. He smelled, earthy and woody, like he had just spent hours chopping wood without break a sweat. She could feel every muscle in his back tense at first and then relax as he allowed himself to give into the hug. Leah closed her eyes and savored it, she didn't know when she would be able to experience this kind of contentment again and she wanted to remember the moment; the smells, taste and feel of Jacob Black in her arms.

She wasn't sure how long the moment lasted. Whether it was moments, minutes, days, years … it all seemed to soon when he pulled away, letting her go and taking a step back. She felt herself regretfully let go and let her arms fall to her sides, they instantly began to ache once again.

"Leah, this can't happen," Jacob spoke, his head bowed, unable to make eye contact with her. Leah instantly felt her knees weaken at his words but she gathered her strength and simply stared at him. "I've imprinted, I'm attached to Reneseme, I can't be with anyone else."

"That's a lie." Leah heard herself say, unaware that her lips had moved at all. Jacob flinched but didn't looked at her. "Don't you tell me you can't see it, you can't recognize what's between us." The dam that held back so many emotions Leah had to disguise from the rest of the werewolf pack was beginning to weaken. She had a taste of what she had craved for so long and she wasn't going to lose it because of some fairy tale.

"I can't go against the imprint, I can't go against nature, Leah, please …"

"NO!" she yelled, her voice echoing off the surrounding trees. "She is against nature, Jacob. She's not suppose to exist, she goes against everything our culture, what the Quileutes believed in." Her breath was heaving, the raining was hitting her hard in the face but she wasn't paying attention. She could feel the familiar heat of the change begin to crawl up her spine as her hands were shaking. She knew she had only a few more moments before she was going shift. "You have a choice, Jacob. You can control your own destiny, your future. It depends on whether not you choose to take that control."

Before Jacob could answer, before Leah could take another breath, she turned into her heal and ran into the forest. She leapt into the air and in moments, had transformed into her wolf form. Jacob didn't follow but she knew he wouldn't.

She didn't regret any of it, the hug or the confession. It had to come out at sometime, she had to end the torture she was being subjected to and no longer cared if it put her, Jacob or the pack in jeopardy. It was the truth and she knew, deep down inside, that it mattered.

Sam and Emily's wedding was coming up that next week, she knew that would be the next time she would have to see Jacob. She needed time to clear her head before the moment came.


	7. Melt My Heart to Stone

Note; I'm going to change the ages of a few characters to make this make sense. Why? Because I can. Much love to Noah and Liz for editing!

"Why do you steal my hand

Whenever I'm standing my own ground

You build me up, then leave me dead" – "Melt My Heart To Stone" by ADELE

Jacob's mind raged like the waves that crashed against the La Push shores. He could still feel the sizzle of Leah's touch, the traces of her body heat remaining on his skin following their intimacy. It was like an electric current skipping across his russet skin as thoughts of her crashed around like a hurricane in his head.

What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just go along with the plan his ancestors had laid out for him? Why was there nothing about falling for someone you hadn't imprinted on?

He had always questioned imprinting, at least questioned whether it would have ever happen to him. He couldn't choose whom he imprinted upon but he also couldn't tell his heart who to love. There was that pull, those wires that kept him planted on Nessie and her wellbeing. She was still young, he believed she recently began aging into her teenage years. He knew that at some point his relationship with her would blossom beyond brotherhood.

Now wasn't the time to question imprinting, much less try to fight against it. There was a war beginning to brew. That girl's last words echoed in his mind, "_It won't be much longer." _How close was the attack, the war that certain members of the Volturi were dying to begin, and who was behind it? The leaders were for the most part cohesive about the idea of not wanting to draw attention to a possible slaughter. An image of the youngest Volturi flashed in his mind. The girl, he believed she was called Jane, seemed on edge, wanting so badly to prove her power of being the ultimate tool of destruction. She had to be at the center of this approaching disaster, the mastermind of annihilating the Cullens and the rest of Forks with them.

And on top of that, the wedding was drawing closer and closer with each passing day. Despite the possible battle, Sam was determined to make Emily his wife before it was too late. Jacob felt that Sam wanted to close the deal and keep his promises before something happened. In the days leading up to the wedding, Jacob stayed away from the rest of the pack, mostly avoiding Leah. He knew she would be standing on the opposite side of the aisle way from him amongst Emily's bridesmaids. He wanted to calm the thoughts in his mind and recompose himself before he had to stand before her for whatever indeterminable length of time. He chose to occupy himself by guarding the boarders, trying to get a better grasp on the enemy's plan. These efforts failed to yield anything worth using. Finally, before Jacob was ready, it was the day of the wedding and one of his duties as groomsman was to help Sam get ready.

The wedding was to take place at a beach near Jacob's house, the beach where Sam and Emily first saw each other the day the imprint took place. Jacob remembered it clearly, recalling how much he hadn't understand since it was before he knew the werewolf legend was true. There was a bonfire and Leah's visitng cousin, Emily. It was a usual evening for the La Push boys: build the largest fire and tell the stories passed down from their grandfathers and great grandfathers. Sam was in the middle of laughing at something when he saw her, and his face became the picture of entrancement. Jacob supposed it was like one of those cartoons where the main character is bashed over the skull with a large hammer producing a flurry of stars mixed with hearts spinning around his head. And from that moment, everything changed, Sam soon broke it off with Leah and attached himself to Emily, crafting a bond that had thrived ever since. Happiness and bliss mixed with the heartache and disappointment; this anecdote sounded so familiar to Jacob and his own dismal love life.

Quil, Jared, Paul, Sam, and Jacob got ready at Jacob's house while Leah and Emily prepared just a few miles up the road at Emily's. Embry and others decided to take the first shift patrolling the outer edge of the Forks and La Push city limits during the ceremony. Seth insisted on going, claiming that weddings made him nauseous but he promised he would show up for the reception. Sam stood before the mirror, struggling to tie his tie while his forehead glistened with sweat. Jacob could faintly see Sam's fingers shake as he retied the colorful silk for the umpteenth time.

"Dude, I don't know why you're so nervous," Paul said, standing up and walking over, swatting his friend's trembling hand away. Sam stood up straight in wordless submission, a veritable tower next to Paul who tied a formal knot with ease. "You guys are made for each other, you've been engaged for like a century. If she was going to leave you, she would've done so a long time ago."

Sam playfully shoved Paul away, cursing him under his breath while he re-examined himself in the mirror. "It's not that I think she's going to run, I just … I don't know, it's complicated. I just want her to be happy with me, married to the hairy werewolf man." He chuckled and bowed his head. While the others began making last minute adjustments, Jacob continued to watch Sam. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to be like him, to stand before a mirror in an over-priced tux while mentally preparing himself to walk down the aisle to his future wife. Jacob never questioned the fact of whether he would get married or not, he had always imagined Bella as the bride dressed in white. But now, the image had slightly changed. He wasn't sure who he would be watching walk down the aisle to join him in the eternal bond of marriage. An image of an adult Nessie walking down aisle and smirking at him under a lacy veil popped into his mind. Then another image, one that made his chest constrict in anxiety and excitement: Leah. She would be dressed in a simple gown, no veil, no frills, no make-up. Her hair would be down, so it could have that constant wind-swept look, and she would smile that playful smile that made him forget what he was talking about.

"Ready?" Jared broke through Jacob's subconscious, slapping him on the back. Jacob came out of his trance just in time to see his brothers lining up at the door. Not now, he reminded himself, now is not the time to let her distract you.

"Sorry." Jacob smirked as he stood up. "Must've fallen asleep or something. Are we heading out?"

"Yeah, we're just waiting for the signal for the ceremony to begin." Sam breathed, staring straight ahead out the door. The group of men stared at Sam, his composure was stiff and uncomfortable. His breathing was small, consistent but he looked like he was mentally somewhere else.

------

Despite all the girl trouble, if you could call it that, in that moment Jacob was in awe of the story of Sam and Emily. He had always known they would someday marry. With a love like theirs it was impossible to avoid. Some might even say that Sam and Emily's love story was made of legends, legends of a love running so deep that generations would speak of it for eons. Through the pain Sam inflicted on Emily, and the torture he had to endure every time he looked into the face he loved, he had managed to find some type of happy ending with her. It wasn't like a fairytale with an evil witch or poisoned apples. Their love story was so much better than any simple struggle of good against evil.

However, despite the beautiful glory of their love, there was a victim. While two souls had discovered their missing pieces and were willing to commit to each another, there was still a-casualty in the pages of Sam and Emily's story. Leah never asked for this to happen. She hadn't wanted to lose the love of her life. She hadn't asked to gain the task of protecting La Push. She hadn't purposed to have a mental connection with Sam, not to mention a group of testosterone-filled werewolves. And yet she handled the responsibility well, holding her own while contributing to the group and the cause. Jacob could only guess the type of pain she kept hidden so well, the pain of watching Sam and Emily begin their lives together. Sure, she could feel the security of acceptance and possibly even brief moments of happiness but the scars of what had happened to her, of Sam's abandonment, throbbed like an open wound. And she had no choice now but to watch him live his happily ever after with someone else,

Jacob wanted to comfort her. He knew deep down inside that he wanted to be the one who could soothe away her pain, to be her friend when she needed one and love her the way she deserved to be loved. It wasn't like the love Jacob had with Nessie, the type of love a brother would have with his sister, but something wholly different, completely new. There was a boiling in his gut, nothing like the warm tingle of imprinting. When her name was spoken or she randomly entered his thoughts, his stomach turned somersaults. It was a mix of nerves and excitement. How could he do it? How could he be with Leah without hurting Nessie or leaving her behind? Was there a way to break an imprint without losing the connections he had with the Cullens, with Bella?

"It's time," Sam's words roughly jarred Jacob from his inner turmoil and he looked up in time to watch his brothers march before him out the door and towards the beach. He took his place between Jared and Quil and began his walk toward the alter. Sam led the way with confidence.

It was a rare sunny day, the kind La Push only received a handful of times a year. Though rain clouds could be spotted on the distant horizon, they posed no threat to the wedding and its participants. Jacob could hear the sounds of a guitar trickling through the gathered attendees as the men strode down the aisle. Jacob's father sat in his wheelchair at the front of the crowd, ready to begin the ceremony. Nearly everyone in La Push was at the ceremony. Some stood on the outside while the few elderly and honorary guests took seats. It didn't feel crowded to Jacob, it felt more like home.

After the short walk, Jacob and his fellow pack members took their positions on Sam's right as he approached Billy and shook his hand.

"Nervous, kid?" Billy asked as Sam turned and faced down the guest-flanked walkway, waiting for his beloved. He didn't respond immediately but swallowed hard, a thin layer of sweat evident along his brow. Billy nodded and patted Sam on the arm, "it's going to be okay, people are always nervous on days like these."

Before Sam could attempt to formulate a response, the guitar changed to the familiar bridal walk and everybody took their cue to stand, turning towards the large SUV that just pulled up to the house. The flower girl was the first to exit the vehicle, her basket in hand as she approached the ceremony, sprinkling red rose pedals in her wake. Next came the line of bridesmaids and Leah, and finally, Emily. Her gown filled the door around her unassuming form as she stepped out making her resemble a soft, milky blossom.

But Sam wasn't looking at Emily. It was as if someone had turned off all the sounds in the world and everybody disappeared as Leah began her way down the aisle. Her dress matched the velvety flowers in her hand, a deep red that gave her skin the impression of being a deeper tan. Her hair was styled down, the ends in soft, wispy curls. Jacob felt his breath halt in his throat as a small gust of wind caught a few strands of her hair and blew them across her face. Oh, if his hands could be the wind allowed to touch her hair so well. Her makeup was natural, she hardly looked like she was wearing any at all and she appeared almost happy.

Jacob couldn't help but stare, how could he keep from looking? Since their brief embrace, she had been on his mind constantly and now she was finally walking toward him. It was like being deprived of water for so long, being plagued by the feeling of dehydration and discomfort, that finally being allowed to drink gratified him to his heart's content. Her eyes swept the crowd, smiling at the few familiar faces before she faced forward. She looked at Sam and than, almost is if she had predicted where I would be, her eyes landed on Jacob.

Electricity, or something like it, zinged through Jacob's veins. He felt himself rock on the balls of his feet, he felt the pull to break his place in line, run up to Leah, and kiss her like she needed to be kissed. It was like the animal part of Jacob was taking over and he didn't want to try to control the hungry beast.

She gave him a small smile before dropping her eyes to the floor and taking her place on the opposite end of the aisle. Jacob continued to watch her until Quil jabbed him in the ribs and brought him back to reality, it was Emily's turn down the aisle.

The entire crowd held their breaths as Emily began to make her way down the aisle. Her dress was sheer white and hung just above her ankles, eliminated the possibility of the dirty earth tainting its purity. The sleeveless bodice of the dress clung to her petite frame, her toned arms held a bouquet of red roses that matched those carried by her bridesmaids. Unlike the brides Jacob had seen so many times in movies and on television, her face was not shielded by a veil or hidden by anything. Her hair was gathered in an elegant knot in the back, leaving her face fully exposed. The scars seemed deeper in the sunlight but it was evident by the expression on Emily's face that she didn't care. She was practically glowing as she approached Sam. Jacob glanced over to examine the groom's expression and laughed to himself. Sam's eyes were wide and yet completely focused. Jacob couldn't imagine what was going through his head as the love of his life approached him.

It seemed like it all happened in slow motion but Emily finally reached her Sam, giving him a wide smile as she handed her bouquet off to her maid of honor before placing both of her hands into Sam's grip. Even from a distance, Jacob could see the glimmer of tears rimming Emily's eyes and took a wild guess that Sam was having a similar reaction.

The ceremony went by relatively quickly, both Sam and Emily cried as they said their vows to each other, remaining traditional and repeating the same vows millions upon millions of lovers had recited before. Upon their first kiss as a married couple, the crowd erupted in cheers and hollers of joy. They finally had done it, after so long, they were finally Sam and Emily Ulley. The crowd engulfed the couple as soon as the ceremony was over, each attendee wanting to give their personal congratulations. Jacob tried to find Leah amongst the chaos, he wanted to speak with her and say something about what had happened during their last meeting but she had disappeared.

Quil and Jared soon beckoned Jacob to return back to his groomsmen duties, and to head over to the reception that was being held at the La Push recreation center. They led the 20 minute walk from the beach to the party. Jacob fell behind as his fellow pack members were laughing and rough housing before him. He wasn't in much of a partying mood and would have much rather stayed behind at the beach to be alone with his thoughts, and hopefully make a decision.

"Hey," a voice said, and Jacob saw that Quil had fallen behind his friends and was walking along side him. "You alright, man?"

"Hey, er, yeah, I guess I am," Jacob responded, his speech jumbled by the disastrous state of his mind at the moment. Jacob found English always became more difficult at times like these, with an impending war and girl troubles.

"You just seem sort of, I don't know, out of it I suppose? You got a lot on your mind? Something you're hiding from the rest of us?" Quil framed his inquiry with a hint of a smile that Jacob couldn't help but return.

"I guess I'm getting better at hiding some thoughts from you animals," Jacob returned, looking down at his now scuffed dress shoes. "There's just been a lot going on, outside of the pack I guess."

"Nessie?" Quil offered. Jacob nodded in return. "Yeah, it's changing with me and Claire too. She's almost a teenager so it's like our link is changing too. It's weird, I don't have that big brother feeling anymore, it's starting to get deeper … more romantic, I suppose." Quil shrugged. "I mean, I don't want to be her boyfriend or anything. At least, not yet. What about you?"

Jacob had to pause, indeed Nessie was getting older but nothing was changing. Physically, she was entering adolescence but he wasn't feeling the change that Quil was describing. Nothing had changed, according to Jacob, except his willingness to love another, someone he had not imprinted on.

"I don't know," Jacob answered but secretly he knew. His imprint wasn't as strong as he originally thought. What if, he thought to himself, Nessie didn't need a boyfriend or lover? What if, for Nessie's special species, she needed a friend, a brother? According to the legend, the imprinter is anything the imprinted needs. For Quil and Claire, Claire wanted Quil as a brother and playmate. Now that she was growing older and maturing into a young woman, she wanted and needed more. What if Nessie didn't need that, at least from Jacob. For her, she only needed a brother and a friend.

Jacob needed to test this theory and knew exactly how he was going to do it. He looked up and noted that they were approaching the recreation center. "I need to find Leah," he breathed as he raced forward, pushing past groups of people until he was inside. The band on stage was still setting up while people were finding their designated tables to await the reception's beginning. Jacob scanned the room but didn't see Leah's familiar face.

"JACOB!" a voice yelled from behind him. He spun in the spot where he stood and saw Seth race up to him with Alice Cullen, arm attached and wrapped in an ace bandage, running behind him. Seth was panting when he finally reached "Jacob … there's something …"

"Seth?! What are you doing, what about the treaty …"

"Forget about the stupid treaty," Seth hastily spit out. "Listen to what she has to say."

Jacob turned to Alice as she stepped forward, her eyes full and worried.

"The Volturi has fallen, Jacob. Aro, Caius and Marcus are no more. There's a new Volturi and they're on their way to Forks. The second war is about to begin."

A/N First of all, YAY for reaching 100 reviews. You guys amaze me. Thank you so much for sticking with me despite more horrible habit of updating this story every few months. I apologize but look at the bright side: less than six weeks of school left and I will have more time to write and finish this story which I started almost a year ago. So, I cannot thank you for your incredible support and believing in me and my little story. If I could buy you all ice cream, you know I would.

Also, I appreciate your critiques and feedback but I ask you to please not be overly critical (what's up, Quotesgirl1 ;D). I do forget some details and may change some facts to make my story work. For instance, you'll notice I sort of wrote Claire and Nessie to be older than what they would've been in canon. This is strictly for my story to make sense and help move things along. I will forget some details such as Jacob changing back to human or including the fact that Alice does get her arm back but please know it's not intentional. I will work on continuity in my chapters in the future :-)

Next time I update, I will have a bachelors degree :D

Follow me on twitter - /melovecoffee


	8. This Unavoidable Thing Between Us

"Between us I feel this undeniable thing

Between us so real this unavoidable thing

Between us I see this indefinable thing, between us" – 'This Unavoidable Thing Between Us' Evermore

Leah gasped for air the second she was away from the bridal party. They were entering the reception party in the big community center but she lagged behind. After facing Jacob for the first time since their last meeting in the forest, Leah thought she was prepared for the wedding.

She was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Leah tugged uselessly at her dress, it felt too tight and itchy against her skin. She felt like she couldn't breathe under the constraints of the fabric, like it was squeezing her lungs closed. She gave up, knowing the problem wasn't in the seams of her dress but the thoughts in her head. Leah was actually quite comfortable in the dress with its long billowy skirt and tight bodice. She knew the color complimented her skin and the results were worth it as she watched the expression on Jake's face as she walked down the aisle.

'Oh God,' Leah thought to herself and her panic attack started all over again.

She thought she could convince herself to move on, to treat Jake as any other member of the pack. There was a war brewing out there, somewhere, and she had to be ready mind, body and soul. She not only had to protect her loved ones in La Push but also the innocent lives that resided in Forks. The poor humans who kept their eyes shielded from all the supernatural happenings that went on around them.

Leah wished she had the strength to separate her love life and her personal life. She wished they could be two separate entities but the truth of the matter was, they were one in the same. She saw Nessie as a predator, an outside threat that could undo not only Jacob but also the entire pack. Leah relished in the fantasies of ripping the little demon child into pieces, ridding the world of the half vampire child.

It still boggled her mind how such a creature could exist where she had no idea vampires could procreate. Did the ancestors foresee this event happening?

What was Leah thinking? She was an oddity herself, a female werewolf. She had always heard stories of men turning into wolves to protect their wives and children. No stories had ever been found about those wives turning into wolves themselves to protect their homes and families. Could Leah really judge another supernatural being for existing against nature? Could she really understand where Nessie was coming from?

'Doesn't change the fact that I want to rip her head off,' she thought to herself with a grin.

"Hey beautiful!" Leah's head whipped around expecting to see Jacob rounding the corner but instead saw Embry. She laughed inwardly at herself, having one of those moments where fantasies get the best of you and you create unrealistic expectations.

"Hey" she said, standing up and dusting off the dirt that managed to find it's way on her dress. She felt the butterflies in her stomach release and flutter around. It had been ages since she had been in close vicinity with Embry, they both had their duties they had to fulfill which left little time for dates or alone time. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on watch or something?"

"I snuck away on a break. Come here," He said as he gathered Leah in his arms. She hesitated before wrapped her arms around his body and letting herself briefly enjoyed the moment. She had always enjoyed Embry's hugs, the fact that she felt so safe and warm, like nothing could harm her in his arms. His smell was different from Jacob's too, not by much but Leah could sense a bit of spice and cinnamon in Embry's aroma. Leah was reminded of their first encounter in the forest so long ago, the same feeling of doubt crawled up her spine and brought her back to reality.

She pulled herself away and looked up into his hopeful face, the guilt of what she had done to him sat in the pit of her stomach. Leah hadn't loved him and she knew she could never love him the way he deserved. He was a convenient solution when everything seemed so dark and dismal. He was the band-aid on the gaping hole Jake left.

Without a moment's hesitation, Embry bent down and brushed his lips along Leah's before pulling her back and deepening the kiss. Leah wanted to enjoy, she wanted to forget about vampires, the war and especially Jacob. She wanted to give herself to Embry and let herself be happy with him but she couldn't do it. She couldn't allow herself to not only fool Embry but also herself.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. Embry pulled away but kept her close in her arms. He let his fingers become tangled in her long dark hair.

"Just everything that's happening, I'm just confused," she admitted, surprised by the honesty in her words. "I feel like I haven't been myself lately."

"Well, I'll admit, you have been a little nicer to everybody but Sam, of course," he grinned. Leah playfully punched his arm before he pulled her in again for a quick kiss. "I know, what you mean. It's been a little crazy but when everything calms down and we aren't fighting for those leeches, we'll be able to really begin seeing each other without complications."

"Yeah, about that," Leah had to force herself to look anywhere else but his face. Instead, her eyes landed on an odd sight. Seth and Alice Cullen were walking quickly into the front entrance of the center. If the site of a werewolf and vampire walking together wasn't weird enough, the expressions on their faces was enough to make Leah forget about Embry. They both had petrified looks on their faces. Without saying another word, Leah let go of Embry and followed the odd pair through the front doors.

It felt like moving through water as she fought the sudden crowd trying to get into the building. She couldn't hear the chatter or the snide comments about her rude behavior trying to get through the crowd. At the moment, she couldn't have cared less. There was a vampire, a Cullen, on their land and that could never lead to anything good. She could faintly hear Embry call her name as the crowd separated them further but Leah had finally spotted Jacob talking to the two a few feet away. Once she broke away from the crowd, she could see the color quickly drain from Jacob's face.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" She spat out, suddenly realizing how tired and out of breath she sounded after forcing her way through the crowd. She looked at Jacob's face and that made her pause. He was still and unreadable like a wax figure. He looked as if he could burst out in tears at any moment. She couldn't know for sure, but she could tell there were about a million thoughts racing through Jacob's head.

"They're on their way," Seth spoke from behind Jacob, "The vampires, they're beginning their decent to take out the Cullen's child." For a moment, Leah was amazed how mature and older her brother sounded in the face of danger. She was proud, tears peaking in the corner of her eyes before she dismissed them and came back to reality.

"No warning? Nothing?" Leah looked to Alice. She was so small and meek amongst the towering werewolves that surrounded her but she seemed unbothered. She was like a small Pomeranian among Great Danes, small in size but big in confidence.

"There was nothing, the last thing I saw was them leaving some secret place a few hours east from here," she said, trying to hide the worry in her voice. "I was out in the woods when I bumped into Seth and everything went fuzzy, I can't see anything now."

"A few hours?" Leah responded and her eyes swept the room. Most of La Push came to celebrate the union of Sam and Emily but now were in mortal danger of an impending vampire attack. "What about all the people? We need to get all the humans out, who knows what your government is capable of."

"It's not them," Alice quickly responded, her voice sounding as if she were on the edge of tears. "They're dead."

"Dead? You mean, more than their usual dead?" Leah responded, her eyes remaining on the tiny vampire that stood in front of her.

"The last thing I saw was the attack against on Caius, Aro, and Marcus. The old government has fallen. Now, there's new one," Alice paused, closing her eyes briefly, "Jane and Alec are now the leaders."

"Well, isn't that good? There are only two of them and they should be easier to take down," Embry spoke up causing Leah to nearly jump out of her skin, she had forgotten that he was there because of his silence.

"No, the total opposite. They're out for blood, my family's blood. They're vicious and powerful with an incredible influence over the remaining members of their covenant. They've already cleaned out those who showed resistance to their hostel take over," Alice looked back at Jacob who continued to stand as a statue, staring back at her. "Jacob, we must move, we must clear out Forks and La Push as fast as possible. They will take out any humans that stand in their way."

At these words, Jacob seemed to have snapped out of his trance. The first pair of eyes he met was Leah's and everything in the world seemed to slow down for her. "Come on, Jake," she told him in a low voice. Though the loud rumbling of a dozen different conversations continued on around them, she knew Jacob could hear her. "It's your time, you need to lead us." Jacob took a deep breath in and nodded.

"Okay," he said, breaking is eye contact to look at Seth and Alice. "Okay," he repeated to himself more assuredly. "Seth, I need you to go tell Sam everything you just told me. He needs to get everybody in this room and everybody else out of La Push. You need to tell him to make up something to tell the people like there's a Tsunami or flood or whatever, I don't care. He needs to get everybody to Port Angeles, that's a safe place. Got it?"

Seth stood up straight and Leah could've sworn for a second he was going to salute Jacob. Without another word, he disappeared into the growing crowd that surrounded them.

"Alice," he said, swiveling his body to face the young vampire. "I need you to go back to your family and everybody else who have come to help and meet us at the big field like last time. Bring Nessie, she deserves to fight for herself. She should appreciate that."

Alice curtseyed before ducking out of the crowd on her way to her home. Next, Jacob turned back to Leah and Embry.

"It's show time," Jacob said. "I need you two to sweep the forest as quickly as you can. It's not camping season just yet but you never know, I need every human out of the forest and out of the way. I don't care what you have to tell them, just make sure they get out."

"What about you? What're you doing?" Leah asked as Embry turned to make his way back through the crowd. She grabbed Jacob's arms and held his gaze. She thought she had so much more time to figure out her relationship with him, have a chance to develop a plan to win him back. Yet, in the face of danger, all time seemed to dissolve into thin air.

"I will meet you in the field afterwards with everyone else," Jacob's eyes flickered upwards to watch Embry slip out the door. "We will make it through this."

"Promise me," Leah demanded in a whisper. She could hear Sam's voice announce an evacuation of La Push due to some oncoming disaster, she couldn't exactly make out his words. Her attention was focused on Jacob, paying attention to the fact that his hands were slipping around her waist to bring her closer. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into his deep brown eyes, so worried and sad.

"I promise this won't be the last time," he whispered back before quickly capturing her lips with his. He tasted exactly as Leah had expected, warm and sweet. She moved her hands to the back of his head as she tangled her fingers through his dark, shaggy locks. She felt a tiny prick of victory, reaping the benefits of a long fought battle. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to become lost in the moment, lost in the kiss that she had waited so long for. She wanted more of this, more time to kiss his lips, feel his skin against hers, to feel his chest rise and fall against hers. She needed more of this and she would be damned if any undead, blood sucking leech was going to try to take this away from her. The moment seemed to last forever but ended all too quickly. Jacob was the first to pull away but didn't completely let go.

"Go," he said, his voice low and hoarse. "Just go." He demanded. Leah squeezed back the tears that fought their way back to her eyes before quickly turned around and running out the front entrance with the rest of the crowd that were now exiting the building. Embry was standing outside, a look of curiosity on his face as Leah approached. He opened his mouth to say something but Leah was the first to speak.

"Come on, let's get a move on," she said before turning into the forest and shifting into her wolf form. Embry soon followed and they both set out to sweep the forest clean of unknowing humans.

An hour later, Leah and Embry came up nearly empty handed. There wasn't a soul in sight in the Olympic Peninsula forest. Leah was unable to catch any type of scent that might belong to a human, or animal she would soon realized. It was quiet, a little too quiet for Leah's nerves to remain calm.

'Leah!' Embry's voice broke through her subconscious 'Leah, do you smell that?"

Before Embry finished his sentence, Leah caught a full whiff of what had made him so excited. It was that stinging, icy smell the wolves often associated with vampires. Leah froze, the trail was old but not by much. Whoever left their trace must've been in the same spot a few hours ago

They both continued moving forward, sniffing the air for a hopeful direction that will lead them to their intruder. The forest was quiet, not a bird or small creature scurried within miles of where Embry and Leah were searching. It seemed that all the woodland creatures had evacuated and found shelter from whatever incoming danger there was ahead.

Leah's eyes caught something different amongst the green and brown surroundings. She hurried forward, hoping this new lead would give her answers as to what was happening in her woods. 'Oh my God,' she thought and a second later Embry was by her side. They both stood above a piece of torn flannel shirt. The red clashed with the fern the piece of fabric hung off of. The ominous sign of blood smeared into the cloth as it dripped into the dirt below.

Embry was about to take a step forward when a scream pierced through the serene forest. Without hesitation, Leah grabbed the fabric with her mouth and they both darted towards the source of the scream. It sounded close, maybe a mile or two from where they stood and they were approaching a small camping ground within moments.

'Quick, change back. We'll scare them more if we approach like this.' Leah said as she ducked behind a tree to change back to her human form and change into the t-shirt and sweats she always carried with her. She said a silent prayer for her habit of never leaving her pouch too far away.

As she came out of the tree, Embry had already changed back to his human form, wearing ripped sweat pants, and was moving towards the camp ground where a young girl was standing in front of a small tent. She looked native but Leah had never seen her in La Push before. She looked about 18 years old with long, chestnut brown hair and tan skin. She was holding a ragged red flannel shirt very similar to the pattern Leah had found earlier.

"He's gone," she sobbed, her face was glistening with tears. 'He left … to get … water … gone for hours," between every few words, she took ragged breaths. She was obviously shaking, clutching the ripped garment like it held all the answers "I found this … he was wearing it. … when he left."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Leah asked as she walked behind Embry. For a moment, he didn't respond as he stood completely still. "Embry? Did you hear me? Are you think—" she took a step in front of him and stopped.

Embry was staring at the young girl, a dazed look on his face like he had been hit over the head with a sledgehammer. She could've sworn for a second she could see cartoon-like stars float around his head. Leah knew this look, she had once seen it on Sam's face when he first met Emily. It felt like all the wind rushed out of Leah's lungs and she suddenly felt weak and dizzy.

Embry had finally imprinted.

Before Leah could formulate a verbal response to this new turn of events, she heard a twig snap a few feet behind her. She whipped around and found a ragged looking man with pale skin and red eyes. His sandy blonde hair was tangled with leaves and twigs, blood smeared down the front of his shirt. He stepped through a patch of sun and his skin sparkled momentarily before returning to its lifeless, pale shade.

"Oh look, the puppies have come out to play," he snarled.

AN: I'm still here, the next chapter is being written as this is being posted. Thanks to Liz for proof reading. Thanks for the ongoing love and support, it's more appreciated than you know! - N


	9. Miniature Disasters

"I don't want to be second best  
Don't want to stand in line  
Don't want to fall behind  
Don't want to get caught out  
Don't want to do without  
And the lesson I must learn  
Is that I've got to wait my turn" – 'Miniature Disasters' KT Tunstall

An inhuman growl erupted from Embry's chest as the vampire crept closer to the campground. Leah could tell that he was in full protection mode by the arch of his back and the sneer across his face; only one thing could cause such a fierce reaction. Leah glanced back at the girl, who was now on the ground cowering and shaking. 'Poor thing' was Leah's first reaction, 'she has no idea what kind of world she just stepped into.'

"Oooo," the vampire chided Embry, continuing to inch closer to the very angry werewolf. "Looks like the puppy has a bit of a temper, we're going to fix that now aren't we?"

"Where are the rest of your people?!" Embry barked, his voice echoing off of the surrounding trees. His body was beginning to shake and Leah knew she had to keep calm for the sake of getting the human girl out alive.

"Now, now, they will all come in due time. But for now, my dear puppy, you and the bitch are mine," the vampire grinned maliciously. Leah could see Embry beginning to shift and turned to face the young human girl. She knew she had to get her out of here but couldn't afford the vampire knowing the rest of the humans were evacuating.

Leah assessed the situation and saw the vampire was completely absorbed with teasing and pushing Embry over the edge. She quickly slinked to the girl and knelt down beside her.

"We're going to get you out of here," She whispered, laying a hand on top of her shaking head. "It's okay, we're the good guys." The girl looked up at Leah, her face was red and stained with tears. "What's your name?"

"Charlotte," she said in a quavering voice, "Charlotte Altera."

"Altera?" Leah paused for a moment. "As in Quil Altera?"

"I'm his cousin," Charlotte began but was quickly cut off by a loud barking noise behind Leah and looked behind her. Embry had changed, his clothes ripped to shreds on the ground around him. Before Leah could take in the scene, Embry launched at the vampire and latched onto his shoulder with his mouth. The vampire let out a high-pitched, metallic scream that made Charlotte return to her cowering position. Leah knew she had to get the young girl out of the area as quickly as possible now that the vampire was completely distracted.

"OK, listen to me carefully, Charlotte. I'm going to pick you up and take you somewhere safe and-"

"No! W-we can't, what about Damon? He's going to back any second and he'll be looking for me … " Leah bit her tongue in response to this, the urge to put the blatant but harsh truth out there grew in her stomach but she knew the last thing she needed was for this girl to have a complete meltdown.

"I know, we'll look for him later but right now we have to get you out of here before that thing comes over to finish the job, kay?" Leah said intensely, trying to convey the reality of the situation and how much danger she really was in. Charlotte's eyes were full of tears as she looked from Leah to the situation behind her, she could hear the continued sounds of shredding body parts and screams from both fighters. Charlotte nodded solemnly before being scooped into Leah's arms.

"Will he be okay? Your friend, I mean?" Charlotte asked in a small whisper. Leah paused for a moment before she answered.

"Yeah, Embry can handle himself pretty well," Leah said before she began her jog into the woods and towards Forks.

--

The run was relatively uneventful but Leah could already sense the disturbance that was happening in the rest of the woods. The sounds of animals and wildlife usually present in the Olympic rainforest but today, everything seemed still and frozen in time. There was hardly a twitch of a leaf or the scurry of some small rodent. It was as if the animals that typically resided in the forest got the memo of something coming before everybody else and packed up and left a long time ago.

It was obvious Sam had gotten the word out of the evacuation. The line to leave on North 101 was long. Cars were piled up at the single stop light in the small town as families crammed every single person they could into their cars. They were all heading to Port Angeles, the closest and safest city. The talk of a Tsunami could be heard in various conversations. Charlotte had remained relatively calm and collected during the whole time Leah was searching for someone to take her to Port Angeles. She stayed close to Leah's side, almost annoyingly so but Leah had to remember that all the events she had seen in the forest were completely alien to her. A man being there one moment and then becoming a wolf in the next and a strange, creepy stranger smeared in her friend's blood. Leah spotted a somewhat familiar head full of sandy blonde hair and quickly approached him.

"Hey!" she called and he turned around, looking panicked at the chaos that was unfolding before him. "Your name is Mike, right? Mike Newton?"

"Yeah, yes I am. You're that Jacob kid's friend, right? From La Push?" He said, his eyes obviously taking her current state of dress. Leah was sure her clothes were stretched and ripped, showing a lot more skin than she was accustomed to. She probably looked like some Amazonian woman who had just crawled out of the forest.

"Leah, right. Listen, I need a favor. Can you take this girl to Port Angeles? I found her in the woods and she has no way to evacuate." Leah said, gesturing to the much shorter girl next to her. Mike's eyes moved from Leah's body to Charlotte's and immediately looked crest fallen. Leah breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing Embry wouldn't have to rip Mike's face off from flirting with his imprintee.

"Er, yeah, sure. Do you need a ride too, Leah, right?" he said but Leah ignored his last comment and turned to Charlotte. She looked at her wide eyes and fearful expression and Leah felt pity again for the unknowing human girl.

"Listen, I know this is a lot to handle in such a short of amount of time and I promise, I will explain more to you later. Well, at least Embry will. But I need you to promise not to speak to anyone about what you saw in the woods today." Leah said, making eye contact with the other girl and holding her gaze to emphasis the importance of this promise.

"But, Damon? What about him, we need to tell the police …" her voice trailed off, tears brimming her eyes once again and her whole body began to shake.

"I know, I know" Leah hushed her; she didn't need any crying girls on her hands right now. She had no time to deal with so many emotions and heartbreak. "I promise you, we will look for Damon but I need you to be strong and go with Mike. He's a … he's a good guy," Leah said, having troubling finishing the last part of the sentence. "I will find you and bring you back and we'll talk, alright? Just for now, stay with Mike, okay?"

Charlotte nodded and without speaking, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Leah's tall frame. Leah was taken back from the gesture, so unfamiliar with this kind of emotional bond with a stranger. She never really had saved a human's life with her special abilities; it was the first time being a shifter was somewhat useful in helping another life. Reluctantly, she hugged her back. In a way, Leah was glad for this girl's existence and her newly found place in Embry's world. She had taken the place Leah wish she could fulfill. It would make breaking up with Embry later a little bit easier and less heart breaking.

Charlotte soon disappeared into the crowd with Mike to go search for his car. Leah stood in the moment, watching people pack all their belongings and supplies into their vehicles as they headed north and away from all the danger. Than she remembered Embry and the type of danger he was in. She was stripping off her clothes as soon as the shrubbery concealed her as she shifted into her wolf form. An avalanche of voices met her before all four feet hit the ground.

_We're meeting in the clearing_

_People are evacuating, slowly but surely_

_Meet in the clearing like before_

_I'm okay, bloodsucker took a chunk of me but I'll survive_

_The vampires are on their way_

_Heading to the clearing, be there soon_

_The bloodsuckers will be here soon, gotta get ready_

_I imprinted on some random girl in the forest_

_Meet in the clearing as soon as possible_

_Cullens are here, there aren't many but they'll do_

_Wait, Embry imprinted?_

Leah quickly changed the course she was running on and began to make her way to the familiar clearing where the rest of her brothers and the Cullens were waiting for the battle to begin.

Leah didn't have to run for long until she was approaching the field. Already she could catch her brothers' scents in the air mingling with the cold iciness of the Cullens. She stopped suddenly, a new smell had wafted in front of her. It was a fresh smell, strong like it was just freshly created. Leah turned around and out drifted a young girl from behind a tree.

Leah didn't need the sun to tell her this girl was a freshly made vampire. Her blonde hair was tangled with leaves as a disheveled plastic tiara sat lopsided on the top of her head. The prom dress she wore could've possibly been periwinkle blue at some point but was now covered with earth and grime. A mangled corsage hung limply from her wrist by a thread, looking like it had seen better days.

"She told me I would find stragglers," the girl hissed as she took a step forward, Leah could see the flash of silver, strappy heal on one foot while the other remained naked. She wobbled as she made her way forward. Leah quickly glanced out at the field, hoping that someone would sense the danger she was in or hear her panicked thoughts. Sadly, none of her brothers were in their wolf forms standing in a circle. They seemed too absorbed in the excitement of battle to notice their lone sister being cornered by the enemy.

"She told me the night she changed me. That night was full of surprises," she continued without pausing, seemingly talking to herself now. "The doctor said I could use a night out of the asylum, that a bit of fresh air and fun would be good for me. My friends decided to dress me up and take me to the dance. 'Karen, you look lovely,' they told me. 'No one would ever think your crazy,' they would say. Little did I know I would never make it to the school, like you're never gonna make it back to your friends," she said the last bit with a sneer, like the label could hurt Leah.

She snorted in return. 'I am reaching the end of my rope with these blood suckers and their need to rip my throat out,' she thought to herself. As the girl took another step forward, Leah crouched down and let out a deep, rumbling growl. The girl paused and, to Leah's surprise, smiled.

"Well," she said with a small giggle, "This should be enter-" Leah didn't wait for her to finish her sentence and lunged at the young, vampire girl.

Karen's body thudded loudly against a nearby tree. She laughed at the gesture but Leah took no notice and lunged for her throat. Karen gasped in surprise as she took Leah by the shoulders and threw her off of her. However, Leah took a piece of her throat with her.

'You bitch,' the girl spat as she reached up to her newly torn throat. 'You're going to destroy the entire outfit.' Leah was already back on her feet and spat out the piece of the vampire's throat. It tasted exactly how it smelled, an ice-y cold that burned Leah's mouth and nose hairs. It was like chewing on wasabi. Leah let out another growling warning as she slinked towards her prey. She wanted this fight more than anything. Ever since these creatures had entered her life, it had been nothing but torture and turmoil for Leah. These leeches were responsible for everything that had happened to her home and she wasn't going to stand for one of them barraging in and threatening to hurt her family and her loved ones. She was going to win back some revenge.

Leah leapt again but Karen was ready for this round. It all happened so fast, the vampire had spun around and Leah hit her the wrong way. Karen latched onto her, holding her in a headlock while the rest of Leah's body scratched and pushed against the vampire's grasp. Leah could immediately feel her windpipe beginning to crush and her oxygen supply slowly depleting. 'No,' Leah begged mentally, 'It wasn't suppose to happen like this.' She tried to grasp for air, tried to find some way to make her presence known to her brothers who stood merely feet away but it was useless.

Her vision began to blur, everything around her began to have a soft edge to it. It was like a painting dripping away in front of her eyes as blackness began to consume her surroundings. 'This is it,' Leah thought and a vision of a smiling Jacob appeared before her as her consciousness slowly began to slip away through her fingers.

Then it was like someone had pulled the shutters open. Leah hit the ground gasping for air, the sweetness filled her lungs and she felt alive once again. She looked up and saw a pair of feet she wasn't expecting, a pair of legs that she had once considered her enemy, a torso she had imagined ripping apart on more than one occasion and the face she had partially blamed to have started this entire mess.

Edward Cullen stood before her, holding back the struggling young vampire and looking down at Leah.

A/N: My goal is to have this story done by October 31st. I'm going to be participating in NaNoWriMo (nanowrimo[dot]org) for the month of November and definitely want this story to be finished so I won't be distracted while I write a 50,000 novel. **/gulp**

Thanks for the love! You guys are amazing and drive me to finish this story. The next chapter is going to be a doosey, let the war begin! - Nicole

PS, follow me on twitter! melovecoffee


	10. Orange Sky

"In your love, my salvation lies" – 'Orange Sky' Alexi Murdoch

'What are you doing here?' she thought, letting an instinctual growl lose beneath her chest.

"You looked like you needed a bit of help with this one," he responded out loud as he gestured to the girl pinned down by his arms. She thrashed violently against his grip but it was no use, she was trapped. "Are you alright? For being covered in fur, you looked like you were turning blue."

'Fine,' Leah retorted, angry and a bit embarrassed. 'Two more seconds and I would've had the situation under control if you hadn't come along.' She got up to her feet, a bit wobbly at first but made her way behind a tree so she could phase back to her human self while maintaining the last bit of decency she had. She quickly dressed in the clothes she kept in her pouch. When she returned, Edward was trying to talk to the girl he held in his grip.

"Where are the rest of your people?' He demanded, but all he got in return were her cries and wails to let her go. "Fine, have it your way," and he let the girl go. She stumbled at first, confused by his reaction before fleeing off into the woods.

"Why the hell did you do that for?" Leah demanded, charging up to him as if she were going to attack. Edward didn't flinch but Leah could see he looked tired, even for a vampire.

"Don't you see the type of mind games the Volturi are playing on us?" he hissed back. "She was an innocent girl once, an innocent girl who made the mistake of walking down the wrong street on the wrong night. They know our soft spot, they know we're vigilantes and there's nothing we can do about that."

Leah sighed in return; she had obviously hit a soft spot in Edward's cold heart. She looked at him before looking shamefully down at the ground. She had to remind herself that this wasn't just the werewolves' battle; this was the Cullens' war too. They didn't ask for the Volturi to hate their very existence and their influence over other vampires. Then something clicked and Leah let the words tumble out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"But there is something we can do, isn't there? We have to put them out of their misery, right?" Leah said and saw the reflexive jerk of Edward's head at her words. "Edward, there's no saving them, there's no turning them back. These people were already suffering before they were changed. It's harsh and unfair and cruel but it has to be done." Leah hadn't realized it before but she was now speaking softly to him, like he were an old friend who needed comforting. "They can't help who they are or what they've become, it's our job to set the situation right."

Her mind wandered to Nessie, she couldn't help who she was or what she was made of. She was just another creature, an anomaly in nature that could never be duplicated. They were a tiny bit alike in cosmic and universal terms.

"You're right," he returned, looking down at the forest floor before looking up at her. It was the last thing she had ever expected to hear from Edward. "You are absolutely right."

An awkward air hung between them. Leah knew she should apologize and openly accept that this was not only the werewolves' fight but a fight for the entire city of Forks and La Push. She knew she had to say it but the old Leah that continued to live on inside of her held back the words with all her might.

"Come on," Edward said, softly patting Leah on the shoulder before turning back to the empty field. "Let's get this over with."

And that was all the apology and amends Leah needed to hear. She gave him a tiny smirk as she turned and made her way to the field.

--

"What took you so long? And what are you doing with him?" Paul asked, giving her a curious look as she joined the group. Standing closer, Leah could see everyone was accounted for except Jacob and Nessie. This worried Leah momentarily before she returned to reality.

"Never mind that, where the hell were you guys when I needed your help? I was just attacked by-"

"Attacked?" Quil stepped forward, his face was a sickly colored white and glistened with a fine coat of sweat. It wasn't like Quil to be nervous, Leah thought to herself.

"Yes, attacked but I'm fine," she said with a quick glance at Edward. "Where's Jake? Shouldn't he be here by now?"

"He is" Edward said, nodding to the forest lining that stood twenty feet before them. As if the woods had magically produced him into existence, Jacob stepped through the dark trees followed by Nessie and another being followed closely behind them.

"Hey, isn't that the kid from South America. The one that's like the demon ch-I mean, like Nessie." Leah said, craning her neck as soft whispers erupted around her.

"Yes, Nahuel. I had no idea he was here." Edward said stepped forward and meeting the group of newcomers half way. "We had no idea you heard our invitation, I was sure it was lost in your native land," Edward said politely to the newcomer. The young boy looked up at Edward and blinked kindly, like an elder regarding someone lower in class.

"Not at all, I hear everything and see everything. I've come to regard Reneseme as one of my kind, a rare and exceptional creature. I've come to join the fight to protect her and her family," he replied. Edward didn't respond to this compliment as Leah stood behind him, staring at this new creature. Rare and exceptional? Leah laughed inwardly, this child talked about Nessie as if she were some rare jewel or lost artifact.

Leah tried to make eye contact with Jacob but he stubbornly kept his eyes to the ground. It was the first time she had seen him since their kiss and it took all her strength to keep herself planted and not throwing herself into his arms. His posture and small grimace on his face told her he was not happy about this new turn of events. Nessie and Nahuel stood next to each other closely without touching, they reminded Leah of a smaller, paler version of Bonnie and Clyde.

"Come on, guys! They're going to be here any second," Carlisle said, stepped forward and breaking the awkward tension. "Jacob, I need your pack to shift, you're going to be on the outside to make sure none of them try to break out and run off to Forks. How many are there of you?" The question snapped Jacob out of whatever trance he was in as he shook his head before looking at Carlisle.

"Uh, last time I counted we had just about 2 dozen. That should be enough, we're a pretty resourceful bunch," Jacob said with a small smile Leah was sure was meant to be reassuring but failed. "Come on, everybody shift," he said and everybody made their way to the outlining forest to remove their clothing and change. Leah made a beeline for Jacob, his strides were so long and quick, which made it difficult to catch up with.

"Jacob, what hap-"

"Not right now, I can't talk about it right now," he said before abruptly turning and leaving Leah standing alone just outside the forest. She looked back at Nessie and Nahuel who stood closer together, their heads ducked together as if sharing a secret. Leah shook her head before stepping into the forest and shifting into her wolf form.

--

The surprise arrival of Nahuel threw Jacob off. If anything could make him angrier so close to such a dangerous battle, it would be surprises. Jacob had gone off to the Cullens' house where Nessie was being safely kept with her aunt Rosalie and uncle Emmett. When he stepped through the front door, Nessie bounded joyfully down the stairs and into Jacob's arms as if they were about to go off on one of their adventures. However, what came out of her mouth next changed everything.

"He's come, he heard daddy's message and he's just arrived. Come, Jake, I want you to formally meet him," she grabbed Jacob's hand and lead him upstairs. They found him in Carlisle's study, looking at the large mural that was painted on the walls. He was looking closely at the images of the old Volturi when Jacob and Nessie stepped through the door.

He formally greeted Jacob, shaking his hand and saying it was a pleasure to make his acquaintance but something about this vampire threw Jacob off. The way he looked at Nessie, as if drinking in her presence whenever she was in the same room. He would not be jealous of this small child; there was no time for jealously in a time of potential warfare.

However, as they ran to the clearing to meet the others, Jacob's thoughts continuously strayed to Leah. Hoping, praying that she was okay out in a forest filled with so many dangers and enemies. A small amount of remorse grew in his chest, knowing that at some time he would have tell Nessie the feelings he had for Leah. Feelings that were stronger than an imprint in a way, deeper and more natural than anything he's experienced in his entire life. He knew at some point in the future, they would need to sit down and have that conversation.

If there was a future for them.

--

The werewolves stepped out of the forest one by one, several remained on the outside and stationed themselves for battle. Jacob, Leah and Sam returned to the Cullens and their vampire companions who remained huddled in a small group. Each were wishing the other good luck, partners were hugging and kissing loved ones and Carlisle briefed his family.

"We may not all make it out of here alive," he said with a touch of sadness in his voice. "I love you all."

"Carlisle don't speak that way," Alice said, holding tightly onto Jasper's hand.

"Honey," Esme said, wrapped her arms around her husband and kissing him softly along his jaw line. Carlisle momentarily closed his eyes, letting the moment sink in before opening them again.

"I have all the faith in all of you. I know I've raised you in a way to know what to do and I just want you to know I'm proud of what we've done and what we're standing up for here," he said, a small smile on his face. He looked down at Jacob as he approached him and let his cold hand pet the top of his head. "Good luck to you and your brothers and sister."

Jacob blinked kindly at him before trotted over to Nessie who stood with her parents and Nahuel.

Leah stood where she was, alone in the crowd of loved ones and families that surrounded her. She watched Carlisle take his wife's face and stare into it for an unaccountable measure of time. She turned her head and saw Emmett simply holding Rosalie in his arms, while she looked like she would have tears streaming down her face if she could cry. She saw Jasper and Alice continuing to gaze lovingly at each other before returning her attention to Jacob and the remaining members of the Cullen family. Edward held his two girls close to him, Bella on one side and Nessie in the other. As Jacob approached, Nessie broke away from her parents and latched onto Jacob's neck. In her thoughts, Leah could hear the tiny prayer Jacob was citing in his head for everyone to return home safely and for all this warfare to be done once and for all.

After a moment, Nessie let go and Jacob began to head for his spot on the outside of the clearing. Leah followed, and stood next to Jacob as they waited for the Volturi to finally arrive.

The clearing fell silent, the only sound that filled the air was the sound of bubbling water from a nearby stream. The werewolves all stood in the back, each looking around and waiting to catch the sound of the first Volturi members to arrive. Leah couldn't help but glance over at Jacob, who stood proud and tall as he overlooked the clearing. She could hear the faint buzz from the thoughts of the werewolves that surrounded her; each were occupied with their own thoughts of the upcoming battle that stood before them. She just wanted a few moments alone with him but why did she have to come realize that when they could only have moments left.

'Jake,' she thought in his direction. His ears perked momentarily as a clear signal that he had heard her but he didn't turn his head. She continued to stare at him as tears brimming her wolf-like eyes but she forced them down, now was not the time to get weepy.

'Jake, there's so much I want tell you, I never knew … I never knew until she came into our lives,' Leah was obviously referring to Nessie. 'You knew it was never Embry, it could never be him because it was always …' Now it was becoming difficult to form strings of thought to send to Jacob but at that moment, he didn't need words of images to understand what Leah was trying to say. It was the overwhelming feeling that was radiating off of her and soaking him.

Before Leah knew it, Jacob had his bent down to hers as he rested his cheek against her in the form of a wolf-like embrace. Leah breathed in a steady breath and closed her eyes, savoring the moment and knowing it could possibly be one of her last happy moments on earth. There were no thoughts, no words or images either wolf were trying to rely on each other; it was just the thought of safety and security. The warmth of feeling each other so closely and trying to make themselves believe that they will overcome and leave this clearing as victors.

There was a whisper of wind that drifted through the field that caused all the leaves to flutter and shake. Everyone's heads jerked forward, breaking Leah and Jacob's moment, and they all faced the forest that lay in front of them. For a moment, it looked as if the forest were bleeding as red seemed to dissolve from the trees into shapes. However, the blood soon took the form of people in red cloaks as rows upon rows of pale-faced creatures marched forward. It was evident as the first few rows appeared that the Cullens were outnumbered greatly. However, most of the scarlet clad warriors looked worried, not as confident as Felix and Demetri who were the next to step out of the woods. Leah soon realized, by the smell that now hung from the air like bleach, that most of these warriors were new and part of the army of mental patients the Volturi decided to target. Deep inside, she smiled at this knowing that some of them will be easier to take out than others.

Jane and Alec were the last to enter the field, each flanked with their oversized bodyguards on either of their sides. It took Leah all her strength to hold back a snort of a laugh, the two bodyguards looked like ex-wrestlers with their watery, beady eyes and heads too small for their over muscled bodies.

The twins stepped forward, parting the sea of soldiers like a hot knife through butter and were soon in front of their pack as they stood on the edge of no man's land. Jane, her dark hair smooth and slicked down, had a tiny smile on her face. She looked like a child who was looking at her Christmas tree on Christmas morning. Leah dug her nails in the ground as she fought the immediate need to rip that smile right off the little girl's face.

"We want to speak to your leader, Carlisle," Jane called to her opponents. There was an immediate wave of protests with whispers of 'don't do it' and 'suicide.' Carlisle turned to Esme, giving her a last squeeze of her hand, before parting from his group and striding confidently across the field. He stood ten feet in front of the small twins, his posture casual but on alert.

"We are willing to make an offer," Alec said, his smirk mirroring his sister's so closely. "You know what we want and we're willing to make this easy and peaceful," the last word seemed so unnatural coming from his lips, Leah thought to herself. Something wasn't right, she knew someone was lying. "Surrender your family and come with us and we'll leave without hurting anything or anyone. However, choose otherwise, and we'll make sure no one leaves this field alive."

Leah could see Carlisle's shoulders tense up, he was always one for peaceful resolutions where the obvious solution was to take this royal family out for good. The air in the field seemed to thicken as Carlisle remained quiet, his head bowed down in thought or prayer, or both. He could not seriously be considering their proposition, Leah thought to herself. She looked around at the other members of the Volturi, each with their eyes drilling holes into Carlisle.

"No," Carlisle finally responded. "You can't do that, you can't take my family without a fight." He growled, on his heel as he was about to turn around and head back to his side.

"So be it," Jane responded cheerfully. There was a flash of red that passed behind Carlisle and it was all over before anyone could utter a scream of warning. Felix passed behind Carlisle, ripping his head off and running to the other side of the field before Carlisle's head was caught my Demetri and carried off as well. Carlisle never stood a chance, no one saw Felix and Demetri sneak around or the attack that was coming. Soon there was a tower of smoke behind the Volturi and the acidic smell that told them Carlisle's body was already burning.

Edward was the first to make a sound, a gutted noise like someone had punched through his chest and ripped out his heart. He didn't hear the thoughts among the buzzing thoughts of the entire clan before them. He never so much of a warning of an attack or that any harm would come to his father. Shouts of protests and anger were issued from the Cullens. Esme screamed curses of rage and revenge, being held by Rosalie who's face was contorted in pain and anquish. Leah's eyes soon found Edward, standing still as a statue with his wide as saucers as he stared at the place where Carlisle once stood. Bella clung to Edward's shirt, burying her face and hiding it from the horror that happened before her.

Leah looked back at the Volturi, both Jane and Alec's smiles remained the same as they witnessed the aftermath of Carlisle's death. "Can't say we didn't warn you," was all Jane said. These words seemed to snap Edward out of his trance, he put his arms around Bella briefly before turning around to the group.

"For Carlisle," he spoke vehemently and with certainty. This straightened everyone up, including Esme who looked murderous and ready for revenge. Everyone turned forward again as a growl issued through the werewolves, showing their allegiance to the Cullens and Carlisle. Leah saw Alec and Jane back away through their crowd of soldiers, who were also beginning to grow restless with words and tears. They were hungry for blood and would not wait much longer for it. She stopped briefly at Felix who looked pleased and excited.

"Nobody leaves alive," she told him, keeping her voice loud and clear for all those to hear. Felix's smile grew wider as the twins disappeared the growing fire. Felix's eyes never left the Cullen family, who now all stood tall and proud as they looked at their enemies. Blood lust was strong in their eyes.

"ATTACK!" Felix belted and unleashed the hell that was the newborns.

"FOR CARLISLE!" Edward yelled at almost the exact same time and the Cullens and all their allies rushed towards the newborns. Somewhere in the middle, the two sets of vampires collided in a massive explosions of shrieks and blood. Leah could hardly tell who was fighting who or whether or not they were winning. Several newborns escaped from the main scuffle and made their way to the wolves sitting on the sidelines. Leah watched as one-by-one, each of her brothers were overcome by enemy vampires. Before Leah could run over to help Quil, who was fighting an especially feisty one, she was hit hard in the side by what felt like a boulder.

"You bitch," the female vampire yelled and Leah recognized the girl from earlier. "This is all your fault! All! Your! FAULT!" she screamed in Leah's face as she attempted to pin Leah's arms down. She could slowly feel the air being pushed out of her lungs as the young vampire's grip tightened around her. She looked around her for some help but her eyes were too watery to make out any shapes.

The pressure finally lifted and Leah took in her first, deep breath of air before spinning around and watching Jake tear apart the young girl. 'Fire' Jacob thought at her, Leah nodded and began gathering kindle and wood to get the fire started as quickly. Thanking her dad for years of camping and roughing it in the woods and with the help from one of the Cullens, she was able to have a small fire going and kept building it with more and more wood. Soon, Jacob was tossing pieces of the young vampire, causing the horrible, acidic smell to fill the area.

Leah spun around, looking for Quil, and saw his body laying on the ground. A young male vampire was bouncing on top of the wolf's body in some version of a victory dance. Darting through the battle without being touched, Leah caught the vampire mid air and had his head ripped off and flying into the fire in moments. The fire was now momentous as its flames licked the sky. Leah turned back to Quil, expecting him to jump right up and get back into fighting, but the young wolf didn't move. His eyes stared blindly ahead and his body remained still. Leah nudged him hopefully, praying that he wasn't playing one of his tricks but his nose swayed before falling limply to the ground. Before Leah could turn around to get help, she was knocked over again by another young male vampire but this time she was ready and immediately kicked him off and into a near by tree, almost smashing it into bits.

--

Jacob stood back as he watched the terror unfold before his eyes. It was getting gruesome and he was beginning to have a hard time telling which side was winning and which side was losing. He saw Edward in the heart of the battle along side Bella, dodging blows but keeping both feet on the ground. It was too fast to keep track of, the vampires moved faster than the speed of light and Jacob couldn't keep up.

He saw his brothers were handling themselves quite well. He watched as Embry and Sam had attached themselves to each side of a vampire, tugging furiously as the vampire wailed in pain. Leah had had a little trouble before but Jacob couldn't focus too long on her, she was a strong fighter and he believed could handle anything that came after her.

Jacob realized he hadn't seen Nessie since before the battle. His eyes swept over the field but he could hardly tell the vampires apart. He raised his nose in the air and sniffed deeply but the smells of the Cullens and the Volturi were mixed so well together that it was too difficult to pull them apart.

Jacob watched as Edward freed himself from the hold of the vampire who had killed Carlisle, with a quick move that Jacob would've missed if he hadn't been staring, the large vampire's head was missing and Edward quickly threw it into the growing fire. He continued to throw bits and pieces of the body into a fire when Edward froze, staring ahead. Jacob followed his vision and saw the twins standing next to the fire, shock and dismay clearly evident on their faces.

The rage on Edward's face was nothing Jacob had ever seen before. He had always known Edward to be in well control of his actions and of his natural vampire instinct but while looking at the two individuals who were solely responsible for the death of his father, he seemed to forget everything. Edward began to charge forward but stopped almost immediately and jerked in pain. Jacob saw that Jane's hand was outstretched and curled, like she was grasping someone by the throat.

"NO!" Bella screamed, throwing off the rabid vampire who was trying to break her and ran towards Edward. Jacob forgot about his hiding place and ran forward, but before he could reach Bella, another wild vampire trapped her in her embrace and kept her still. She watched with horror as her husband jerked back and forth in pain on the forest floor.

That's when Jacob saw Nessie step forward with Nahuel by her side. Jacob was too shocked to see such a small, fragile little girl in the midst of death and dismemberment. Nessie paid no attention to Jacob and continued to stare ahead at Jane who looked bemused by the young girl's courage to face an enemy.

"You," Jane said, her smile wide and unnerving. "You are the reason this has all stared, your existence has caused death and war. Have you come to save your mummy and daddy?" she teased, laughing along with Alec manically.

Nessie continued to stare ahead, not saying anything. Jane immediately stopped laughing and stared at Nessie, but Nessie didn't drop to the forest floor withering in pain. Jane gasped in shock at this, looking wildly between Alec, Edward, Bella and her.

"You are not going to hurt anyone, anymore." Nessie demanded her voice steady but strong. She continued to stare at Jane, her eyes wrinkled in concentration. Jacob was about to step forward to help when he heard two gasps and shrieks of pain. His eyes immediately went to Edward and Bella but they remained where they were, eyes wide with shock as they stared ahead.

Alec and Jane were gasping in pain, doubled over as they wrapped their arms around themselves. They both stumbled backwards, seemingly being pushed by invisible hands until they stood at the edge of the fire that had burned so many of their victims including Carlisle. They struggled to remain standing against whatever force was trying to push them into the fire.

"How?" Jane gasped, her eyes meeting Nessie's briefly. Nessie didn't answer, instead she took a step forward that sent Alec and Jane flying into the fire where their painful shrieks heightened to unbelievable level before dying out in the cracks and sparks of the fire.

AN: Thanks for your patience! NaNoWriMo was a complete success (with 50,366 in 30 days! Woot!). There's one more chapter and this story is complete. I'm going to make it as juicy as I can so stay tuned! Again, I appreciate all your comments and constructive criticism! It helps out more than you know - Nicki


	11. Stellar

"Meet me in outerspace  
We could spend the night, watch the earth come up  
I've grown tired of that place, wont you come with me  
We could start again" 'Stellar' Incubus

The pieces had fallen, the battle had come and gone and there was nothing much else to do but gather up the living, bandage up the wounded and bury the dead.

The survivors were plentiful for both asides. Aside from the major causalities of Carlisle, Esme and Quil, many had escaped with minor injuries, at least minor in comparison of those left upon their hearts. Both the Cullens and the werewolves mourned greatly, neither seeing the end of their sadness in the following days of the battle. Yet, no matter how sad they were of the great ones that had fallen, they were still thankful for those who had survived and for each other.

The truce was settled, neither side could see the point of so much hate when those who fought for love and peace were slain so violently. It may seem strange to onlookers, a battle so ancient and practiced to fall so easily like a deck of cards but it had happened. Sam and Jacob shook hands with Edward and Bella, the newly pointed leaders of the Cullen clan as partners. Both clans established themselves as the protectors of the NW territory from any who threaten their way of life. They were sure word of their defeat of the Volturi would slowly spread around the world, so many of their clan had managed to escaped soon after Jane and Alec's demise. There would be others out there hungry with power, filled with confidence that they could take out a puny clan like the Cullens and their pet dogs. However, both the Cullens and the pack would be prepared for next time when it came.

--

It was unseasonably warm as tiny puffs of white clouds hung innocently in the air. After days of remaining inside the Cullen house, comforting each other in their grief, Nessie had quietly asked Jacob to go on a walk with her so they could talk.

They were a few yards from the house when Nessie stopped abruptly, playing with her hands and staring hard at a spot on the ground. Jacob kept his distance, not wanting to disrupt whatever kind of thinking process that was happening inside her head.

Jacob took a moment to appreciate the woman had Nessie had become in the past few weeks. She looked so much like Bella with bits of Edward splashed here and there. She had Bella's eyes, of course, the curve of her lip, her brunette locks and her mother's shy, awkward air that surrounded her. And yet, she had Edward's nose, his piano fingers and a sort of grace when she walked. She had grown up so quickly: it still amazed Jacob to know that not even a year ago, no one could've guessed a type of creature like herself could exist. And yet, here she was in front of him: living, breathing and thinking very hard about something.

"I'm leaving," she said abruptly, keeping her back turned against him. He could guess why she wouldn't look at him. The look of hurt that flashed across his face would've hurt anyone when they took a stab at their heart. Jacob had to take a moment to recompose himself, burying the hurt and ache that began to crawl across his chest like an expanding ink blot, before he could speak.

"Where are you going?" He asked, his voice a soft whisper. He wanted to sound strong but he knew this was no time to protect one's masculinity. She finally turned, her eyes slightly sad but with traces of confidence, like nothing in this world could change her mind.

"South America," she said, taking a deep breath before delivering the final blow, "with Nahuel."

"Oh," was the first thing to escape from Jacob's lips. He felt the urge to clutch his chest, stagger back or do something to show his physical pain but he stayed planted. He was now the one staring hard a spot on the ground, remaining focused so he would not stumble or fall over.

"I have to learn more about myself, my kind of people," she said in a rush of words, taking a step towards him but stopping, like hitting some type of invisible force field. Jacob was thankful for a moment, he didn't want her to close to him. "Jacob, I still love you. But I love you like a brother, doesn't that still apply to the imprint?" She asked desperately, he looked up and saw her hands he was admiring early were clutched in fists.

"I am whatever you need," he said, his voice gaining strength. "If you need a brother, I will be it. If you need a lover, I will be it. If you need a friend," he risked a glance up at her and was caught on her sad gaze, her desperateness for him to understand what she wanted. "I will be it. I will be whatever you need in life."

"Then Jacob, be my friend, be my brother. I could never want anything else, I need a chance to find whatever else is out there for me," she took another step forward but Jacob didn't lower his gaze. "Jacob, from what I've gathered in studying your pack for the past few weeks, your imprint and the sense of connection to another is from one person to another, it doesn't necessarily have to be returned. There's no cosmic obligation that I must fall in love with you and … and I know I'm not the one for you."

This woke Jacob out of whatever trance he was in. He blinked, confused until a certain name seeped into his mind.

"How do you know?" He asked, bewildered but relieved, all at once.

"Please, Jake, I might be physically young but I am pretty observant. I see how you look at Leah and how she looks at you back. No imprint can mask that type of connection."

Jacob couldn't help but smile at the thought. There was a connection stronger then imprinting? Not impossible, he guessed, but a very rare thing to find. He looked back up at Nessie, she still looked sad but she gave him a half smile, Edward's half smile. Before she could say anything, she closed the space between them and gathered Jacob in her arms. Jacob hesitated at first but soon responded to the hug and held her tightly. They spent a few moments in their embrace, memorizing tiny details to store into their memories for the next time they'll see each other. Jacob breathed in her hair, took it in his hands and felt the texture. He focused on her heart, storing the rhythm of it to his memory. He knew he loved her but it was a much deeper love then wanting to be with her romantically. It was more like a family love; a love that meant he would protect her no matter what came her way.

"Well, I must go say goodbye to my family, we want to begin our journey tonight," Nessie said taking a step back and fully looking at Jacob. He nodded, putting his hands in his pockets and kicking a mound of dirt.

"Sure, sure, I think there's somewhere I need to be too," he responded with the smallest of smiles.

--

Leah had disappeared again, overwhelmed with the happiness that the threat against her home had passed but sad because now things could settle again, now others could begin their lives with whomever they pleased but she was alone again.

She wasn't crying this time, if anything she was more pissed then happy. It seemed to be written by her ancestors that no phasing female could ever find happiness and settle down. She was young, yes, but she felt so trapped by the curse that hung around her. Like it was natural selection, her mistake could not reproduce and continue into the future. She was nature's anomaly.

Leah knew what she wanted, she had known for a very long time, but finally when she was close to it, it slipped through her fingers. All because of a half vampire, half human girl who inherited some trait, some spark inside her that caused the imprint. What would she give to have that piece, a tiny change in DNA that caused Renesme to have everything Leah wanted?

What would she give just to be a girl with a crush, if you would dare call it so, on a boy? She wanted to strip away everything that made them different, abnormal and just be a boy and a girl who possibly stood a chance in the world.

Leah closed her eyes and let her mind stray, blocking out the sounds emitted by the forest. She tried to not hear the slightest rustle of the leaves, an animal possibly miles away scurrying, the breaking of branches and twigs by some unknown creature. Leah just wanted to be normal and she thought if she could pretend long enough that there was the smallest of possibilities that it may work.

"Hey," a voice whispered softly into her ear, startling her as she bolted straight up. The sky had significantly darkened since she had last opened her eyes, the sun had already gone to bed and now she was surrounded by the fading twilight. She had no idea when she had fallen asleep but it must've been for a great deal of time. She then remembered the disturbance and looked up to see Jacob's concerned face above her.

"Hey," she replied back almost causally, her voice deep and dampened with sleep. She cleared her throat and touched the back of her head, feeling twigs and dirt lodged into her hair. She cursed herself for looking like some recently unearthed hobbit. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, it seemed like you upped and disappeared," he said, holding his hand out to help her up. She looked at his hand and then up at him.

"Seem? It should be easy, just follow the scent …" she said, disregarding his hand and standing up on her own. She finally looked at him fully for the first time since the last time they were together; he somehow looked different to her. He looked lighter, in a way, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, a sense of hope returned to his face but she couldn't be sure. All she knew was something was different.

"Yeah, well, I really didn't want to phase to find you … to use my wolf instincts," Jacob said with a shrug, shoving his unused hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, instincts," Leah scoffed as she wiped away the dirt from her shorts and bare legs. "Instinct is a funny thin-"

"Nessie is gone," he blurted out, causing Leah to freeze mid-swipe. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"What do you mean gone? Did the left over Volturi come back and I didn't know?" She asked, her heart dropping to the bottom of her stomach.

"No, no, no," he said, shaking his head with a smirk, this was another signal for Leah that something had recently changed. "She left on her own accord … with the other Halfling vampire child."

"Oh," Leah said with the slight nod of her head, becoming more and more confused by the second. "So, are you going to chase after her?" She asked with a small, mocking laugh.

"She said she didn't want me anymore then … then a brother, saying her happiness was elsewhere in the world," he said, chancing a glance at Leah who's attention was concretely set on some mysterious spot in the forest beyond. "So, I'm staying here."

"So, um, what does that mean about the imprint? I don't think I've heard of any legend where the imprintee breaks up with the imprinter," Leah said finally looking at Jacob, his eyes bore into hers and she froze in place. A cold chill ran down her spine but she held back a shiver.

"Well, I've thought a lot about imprinting lately, what it means for me and the rest of the pack … and you." Leah couldn't muster any words, feeling open and vulnerable like a pulsating wound. " … and I want to test a theory, would you like to help me?"

"A theory?" Leah couldn't help but smile back at this, science was never Jacob's forte in life but she wanted to see where he was going with this. "And what's your hypothesis, if you know what that is," she bite back as he took a step forward.

"Well, I do believe now that Nessie has somewhat broken the imprint by rejected me," he took another step forward, now he was within arms length of Leah but didn't tempt to grab her. "And that the threat to Forks and La Push has passed … for now," he added as he took another step forward, Leah could feel the heat radiating off his skin but didn't move. "I think I can see things more clearly. You see, I think it's the moment when one person looks at another and they know, beyond reason or doubt that the person they're meant for is in front of them. That's an imprint." He reached up and took a stray twig from Leah's hair, crushing it carelessly in his palm. "People can pass the ones they're meant for any number of times until there's that moment … that single moment that they know … "

Leah held her breath during Jacob's speech, her heart was threatening to burst out of her chest at any moment but she hoped it could contain itself for what was going to happen next.

"And Leah," he leaned down, his nose lightly brushed Leah's before he rested his forehead against hers, "I think you're it."

Their kiss was electric, like it could light up the city of New York for eternity. But it wasn't the electricity Leah first noticed when Jacob's lips crushed hers.

There was a strange sensation in her stomach; it felt like gravity itself had left Leah momentarily, like she was floating above them momentarily, suspended without support or a safety net. She felt like her ties to her pack, humankind, even earth itself had detached for a split second before something grabbed her, like something seizing her soul and bringing her to a new purpose, a new reason for Leah's existence in this life.

And that reason was Jacob Black.

A/N: First and foremost, I want to thank any person who ever looked at my story. The readers, the reviewers, subscribers, everyone who ever showed interest in my writing I want to thank you since because of your kind (and not so kind) words, I finished this story. I could never tell you how much I adore you all from the bottom of your heart. You make writers like me happy beyond belief.

I would also like to thank Stumptown coffee on Belmont and Starbucks everywhere for giving me the fuel to keep me sane and making this story possible.

Also, to anyone and everyone who helped me edit this story, Liz and Vonnie and Joanna. You guys are simply the best and I love you too.

Will there be a sequel to this story? I have no idea. I have ideas of what I could do but I will definitely approach writing my next story in less time (I've been writing this story for on-going year and a half. Wow!) I ask you to please keep me on your author alerts since I do write a lot of short, one-shot stories. Or follow me on twitter at melovecoffee.

This will not be my last, I can assure you this. - N


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